JPH07260298A - Water dispersion structure of ice manufacturing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable ice making water to be uniformly dispersed and supplied to each of many ice making chambers. CONSTITUTION:A water receiving pan 30 to which ice making water is supplied is arranged above an ice making member 28. A bottom part of the water receiving pan 30 is formed with a concave part 46 corresponding to each of ice making chambers 26a and the concave part 46 is inserted into the ice making chamber 26a. A wall surface of the concave part 46 is formed with slits 46a directed toward wall surfaces defining the concave part 46. A flow regulating plate 50 is mounted at an inner bottom part of the water receiving pan 30. A through hole 50a corresponding to each of the concave parts 46 is punched at the flow regulating plate 50. Ice making water supplied to the water receiving pan 30 is flowed into the corresponding concave part 46 through each of the through holes 50a, thereafter water is uniformly dispersed and supplied toward each of the wall surfaces defining the ice making chamber 26a from each of the slits 46a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a water sprinkling structure of an ice maker, and more particularly, to sprinkling ice making water supplied to a water tray to a large number of ice making chambers of an ice making body disposed below the water tray. However, the present invention relates to a water sprinkling structure capable of uniformly sprinkling ice making water into each of the ice making chambers in an ice making machine configured to form ice blocks in the ice making chambers as the ice making operation progresses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an automatic ice making machine for continuously producing a large number of ice blocks such as ice cubes, an ice making body is constructed by arranging a large number of ice making cells vertically and horizontally defining an ice making chamber opening above and below the ice making body. Water is supplied from the water pan placed in to each ice making chamber,
There is known an ice-making machine that forms ice blocks in each ice-making chamber that is cooled by an evaporation pipe connected to a refrigeration system.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned ice making machine, the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank to the water receiving tray through the supply pipe is placed at a position corresponding to each ice making chamber of the ice making body at the bottom of the water receiving tray. Water is supplied to each ice making chamber through the through hole. In this case, in order to form transparent and high-quality ice blocks in all the ice making chambers, it is necessary to uniformly distribute and supply the ice making water to each ice making chamber. However, since ice making water is supplied to the water receiving tray through a supply pipe provided at a predetermined position, and the ice making water is sprayed directly from the through hole to the ice making chamber, the supply pipe is initially provided in the ice making operation. Although a large amount of ice-making water is sprinkled and supplied to the ice-making chamber in the position close to, the ice-making chamber in a position apart from the supply pipe may not be sufficiently sprinkled and supplied. As a result, there is a drawback that defective ice is formed due to lack of ice making water, or white turbid ice mixed with air is generated due to insufficient flow of water, so that a transparent and good quality ice block cannot be obtained.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a uniform supply of ice making water to a large number of ice making chambers. However, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sprinkling structure capable of preventing formation of cloudy ice or deficient ice.

[0005]

In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, the present invention provides an ice making body defining a plurality of ice making chambers which are open at the top and bottom and the ice making body connected to a freezing system. It consists of an evaporation pipe installed in the body and a water pan placed above the ice making body and supplied with ice making water. The ice making water supplied to the water receiving tray during the ice making operation is sprinkled and supplied to each of the ice making chambers. In the ice making machine configured to do so, a concave portion formed to project downward at a position corresponding to each ice making chamber at the bottom of the water tray, and the concave portion inserted into the ice making chamber with a required gap, A slit formed on the wall surface of the ice making chamber and directed to the inner wall surface of the ice making chamber, and a rectifying plate that is placed on the inner bottom surface of the water tray and has through holes formed at positions corresponding to the recesses, The ice-making water supplied to the water pan is exposed through the through holes of the straightening vane. After allowed to flow into the recess, characterized by being configured to watering supplied toward the inner wall surface of the ice making chamber from the slit of the concave portion.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a water sprinkling structure of an ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings with reference to preferred embodiments. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an essential part of an ice making unit adopting a water sprinkling structure according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an overall structure of an ice making machine according to the embodiment. At the bottom of the ice making machine main body 10 shown in FIG.
2, a machine room 20 for accommodating a refrigerating device 18 including a cooling fan 14 and a compressor 16 is defined. An ice storage chamber 22 is defined inside the main body 10, and the ice cubes stored in the ice storage chamber 22 can be taken out by opening an opening / closing door 24 provided on the front surface of the main body 10. Above the inside of the ice making machine main body 10, an ice making body 28 in which a large number of rectangular tube-shaped ice making cells 26 made of a metal having a good thermal conductivity are arranged horizontally is arranged. Each ice making cell 26 is defined with an ice making chamber 26a that opens in the vertical direction, and ice making water is supplied to each ice making chamber 26a via a water tray 30 described later. Further, the ice making body 28 is provided with an evaporation pipe 32 communicating with the refrigerating apparatus 18 in each ice making cell 2
6 is closely arranged on the outer side surface of the ice 6, and the ice making cell 26 is forcibly cooled by circulating the refrigerant during the ice making operation.

Immediately below the ice making body 28, an ice making water tank 34 for storing the ice making water at a predetermined level is arranged, and the ice making water is supplied to the tank 34 through a water supply pipe 36 communicating with an external water supply system. . A pump motor 38 is disposed on the side of the ice making water tank 34, and the ice making water stored in the tank 34 is sucked and the ice making water is supplied to the water tray 30 via the supply pipe 40. In addition, between the ice making body 28 and the ice making water tank 34, a chute 42 having a large number of through holes 42a is obliquely arranged, and the ice making water which has not been frozen by the ice making body 28 is passed through the chute 42. The water is collected in the ice-making water tank 34 through the hole 42a. Further, the ice blocks that peel off from each ice making cell 26 of the ice making body 28 during the deicing operation are discharged into the ice storage chamber 22 via the chute 42. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 44 indicates the ice making water tank 34.
Fig. 2 shows an overflow pipe that regulates the storage level of ice-making water inside.

Above the ice making body 28, a water receiving tray 30 to which a required amount of ice making water is supplied from the ice making water tank 34 through a supply pipe 40 is disposed, and from the water receiving tray 30 to each ice making chamber 26a. It is configured to uniformly supply ice-making water to water. At the bottom of the water tray 30, recesses 46 projecting downward are formed corresponding to the ice making cells 26 of the ice making body 28 (see FIG. 4). Then, each recess 46 is inserted into the ice making chamber 26a of the corresponding ice making cell 26 from the upper opening.
Note that the outer diameter of the recess 46 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the ice making cell 26 as shown in FIG. 1, and a required gap is provided between the outer wall surface of the recess 46 and the inner wall surface of the ice making cell 26. It is supposed to be defined. Further, slits 46a are formed on the four wall surfaces of the recess 46, respectively.
The ice making water supplied to the ice making chamber 26a is sprinkled and supplied to the ice making chamber 26a through each slit 46a. In this case, since each slit 46a is set so as to point to each inner wall surface of the ice making cell 26, the ice making water sprinkled from the slit 46a is uniformly supplied to the corresponding inner wall surface and flows down.
A seal member 48 such as a gasket is arranged at the upper edge of the ice making cell 26, and the seal member 48 is brought into contact with the outer bottom surface of the water tray 30 to prevent the ice making water from leaking to the outside of the ice making chamber 26a. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plate-shaped flow straightening plate 50 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the water receiving tray 30. In this straightening plate 50, the through holes 5 are formed corresponding to the respective recesses 46 of the water tray 30.
0a is bored, and the ice making water supplied to the water tray 30 flows into the recess 46 through each through hole 50a. As shown in FIG. 1, the through hole 50a has a diameter smaller than the opening dimension of the recess 46 and is located in the center of the recess 46.
It is possible to allow the substantially uniform ice-making water to flow into each recess 46 while suppressing the influence of the arrangement position of 0. Then, the ice-making water that has flowed into the recess 46 from the through hole 50a once drops on the bottom surface thereof and then flows in four directions, and is uniformly sprayed and supplied from each slit 46a to each wall surface that defines the ice-making chamber 26a. Is. The water tray 30 and the rectifying plate 50 are both made of synthetic resin such as ABS resin which is a heat-defective conductive material.

A water tray 30 is provided via the pump motor 38.
The amount of ice-making water supplied to the
It is set so as to balance with the amount flowing out through the four slits 46a of the a and the concave portion 46. That is,
During the ice making operation, the ice making water is stored up to the level above the flow regulating plate 50 in the water receiving tray 30.
It will not overflow from 0
(See Figure 1).

Here, as a method for detecting the formation of ice cubes in the ice making chamber 26a, a method for detecting a decrease in the amount of ice making water in the ice making water tank and an indirect method based on the temperature change of the ice making cell There are a method to detect the formation of ice cubes, a method to directly measure the thickness of ice, and a method to detect the change of the water flow accompanying the growth of ice by guiding it to an ice making water splash water receiving tank provided separately. However, any of the methods has a drawback that the structure is complicated and the cost is high. Further, in the method (1), there is a problem that the ice thickness cannot be obtained because the ice thickness changes due to variations in the shape of the tank and the mounting position of the detection switch. The method of (1) has a problem that a certain amount of ice cubes cannot be formed due to the influence of changes in the outside temperature. In addition, the method (1) has a drawback in that the mechanism is complicated and thus is likely to fail.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the ice making operation progresses and the ice making is almost completed, the opening area becomes small due to the ice layers grown on the respective wall surfaces of the ice making chamber 26a (see FIG. 5), and the water receiving tray 30 is supplied. As compared with the ice making water, the amount of the ice making water that returns to the ice making water tank 34 through the ice making body 28 is reduced and reduced, so that the ice making water is gradually stored in the water tray 30 and the water level rises. This is utilized to detect the completion of ice making. That is, the water tray 30
The float switch 52 is arranged in the above, and the float 52a of the switch 52 is configured to move up and down according to the change in the water level of the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank 34 to the water tray 30. Then, when the float 52a rises to a predetermined position (when ice cubes are formed in the ice making chamber 26a), the switch 52
Is set to detect that the ice making water is stored at a predetermined water level in the water tray 30 and stop the ice making operation and switch to the deicing operation. According to this method, the structure is extremely simple, and the completion of ice making can be accurately detected without being affected by the outside air temperature and the like. Further, when ice cubes drop off from the ice making cell 26 by the deicing operation, the water receiving tray 30
The ice making water stored in the ice making chamber 26a again passes through the through hole 50a of the current plate 50 and the slit 46a of the recess 46.
Since the water level of the ice making water in the water receiving tray 30 lowers, the completion of the deicing operation is detected by lowering the float 52a at this time.

[0013]

Next, the operation of the water sprinkling structure according to the embodiment will be described. The ice making water in the ice making water tank 34 is supplied to the water receiving tray 30 via the pump motor 38 and the supply pipe 40. The ice-making water supplied to the water receiving tray 30 flows over the entire upper surface of the current plate 50 placed on the inner bottom surface of the water receiving tray 30, and flows into the center of the corresponding recess 46 from each through hole 50a. In this case, since the through hole 50a is set smaller than the opening size of the recess 46 as described above,
It is possible to suppress the change in the amount of ice-making water depending on the arrangement position of the supply pipe 40 at the initial stage of the ice-making operation to a low level, and to flow a uniform amount of ice-making water into all the recesses 46. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the ice-making water is dropped onto the bottom surface of the recess 46 and then flows in four directions along the bottom surface and is sprayed from the four slits 46a toward the four inner wall surfaces of the ice-making cell 26 at a substantially right angle. Then, each wall is flowed down uniformly. The ice making water that has flowed while being in contact with the inner wall surface of each ice making cell 26 and being cooled is returned to the ice making water tank 34 through the through hole 42 a of the chute 42 and is again provided for circulation. While the circulation of the ice making water is repeated, as shown in FIG. 5, the ice making water is frozen on the inner wall surface of each ice making chamber 26a to form an ice layer.

That is, the ice making water supplied to the water receiving tray 30 is not directly supplied to the ice making chamber 26a, but flows into the ice making chamber 26a through the through hole 50a of the straightening plate 50 and then the ice making chamber 26a.
Is supplied to all the ice making chambers 2 in the ice making body 28.
It is possible to supply a substantially uniform amount of ice-making water to 6a. Moreover, since each slit 46a of the concave portion 46 faces each wall surface that defines the ice making chamber 26a, the ice making water flows down evenly on each wall surface, and deficient ice is formed due to lack of ice making water, or the water flow. Due to the shortage, transparent and good quality ice cubes are formed without producing cloudy ice mixed with air.

As the ice making operation progresses and an ice layer grows on each wall surface of the ice making chamber 26a, as shown in FIG. 5, the opening area of the ice making chamber 26a becomes small and the amount of ice making water flowing down is reduced. Less. On the other hand, since a fixed amount of ice making water is supplied from the ice making water tank 34 to the water tray 30,
Ice-making water is gradually stored in the water receiving tray 30, and the float 52a of the float switch 52 rises as the water level rises. When the ice level of the ice making water in the water tray 30 exceeds a required level due to the formation of complete ice cubes in the ice making chamber 26a, the floats 52a actuate the float switch 52 to form ice cubes. Detect that. When the ice making completion is detected by the float switch 52, the circulation supply of the ice making water is stopped to complete the ice making operation.

Next, the refrigerant circulation system valve is switched to supply hot gas to the evaporation pipe 32 to heat the ice making cell 26, thereby accelerating the melting of the icing surface between the inner wall surface of each ice making chamber 26a and the ice cubes. Let When this deicing operation progresses and the icing surface between the inner wall surface of each ice making chamber 26a and the ice cubes melts, the ice cubes are separated from the ice making chamber 26a by their own weight and slide off the chute 42 to the ice storage chamber 22. Is released. Further, when ice cubes drop from the ice making cell 26, the ice making water stored in the water receiving tray 30 flows into the ice making chamber 26a through the through hole 50a of the straightening vane 50 and the slit 46a of the recess 46, so that the water receiving tray The water level of the ice making water in 30 falls. Therefore, the float 52a of the float switch 52 descends and the switch 52a
Is activated and the deicing operation is completed, and the operation shifts to the ice making operation again.

As described above, in the water sprinkling structure of the embodiment, the recesses 46 corresponding to the ice making cells 26 formed in the water tray 30 are formed.
In addition, slits 46a corresponding to the four wall surfaces that define the ice making chamber 26a are formed, and the current plate 50 is provided with through holes 50a at positions corresponding to the recesses 46, respectively.
The ice making water is uniformly sprayed and supplied to the four wall surfaces of the ice making chamber 26a. As a result, good ice cubes are formed in all the ice making chambers 26a, and it is possible to prevent formation of cloudy ice or defective ice. Further, when ice cubes are formed in the ice making chamber 26a, a change in the water level of the ice making water supplied from the ice making water tank 34 to the water tray 30 and stored therein is detected to detect the completion of ice making. Therefore, it is possible to detect the completion of ice making with high accuracy without being affected by the operating conditions such as the outside air temperature, and it is possible to always manufacture ice cubes with a constant quality. Moreover, since the structure is extremely simple, the manufacturing cost can be kept low.

As the ice making completion detecting means, instead of using the float switch 52 as in the embodiment,
The displacement of the water level in the water tray 30 may be detected by the electrode type switch 54 shown in FIG. 6 or the thermostat 56 shown in FIG. 7. Further, the shape and size of the slit 46 a in the recess 46 and the through hole 50 a of the flow straightening plate 50.
The shape, size, and the like of the are set to be most suitable by experiments.

[0019]

As described above, according to the water sprinkling structure of the ice making machine according to the present invention, the ice making water can be uniformly supplied to each of the ice making chambers of the ice making body, and the ice making chambers can be evenly distributed on the inner wall surface defining the ice making chamber. Ice-making water can be allowed to flow down. Therefore, deficient ice is not formed due to insufficient ice making water, and white turbid ice mixed with air does not occur due to insufficient flow of water, and a transparent and good quality ice mass can always be produced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an ice making unit adopting a water sprinkling structure according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ice making machine adopting a water sprinkling structure according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a current plate and a water tray in an exploded state.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of essential parts showing a rectifying body, a water tray, and an ice making cell in an exploded state.

FIG. 5 shows an ice making unit adopting a water sprinkling structure according to an embodiment,
It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view shown in a state where ice cubes are formed.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing another example of the ice making completion detecting means.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing still another example of the ice making completion detecting means.

[Explanation of symbols]

26a ... ice making chamber, 28 ... ice making body, 30 ... water saucer, 32 ...
Evaporation pipe 46 ... Recessed portion, 46a ... Slit, 50 ... Straightening plate, 50a
… Through hole

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ice making body (28) defining a plurality of ice making chambers (26a) opening up and down, an evaporation pipe (32) connected to a refrigeration system and arranged in the ice making body (28), It consists of a water pan (30) arranged above the ice making body (28) and supplied with ice making water, and the ice making water supplied to the water receiving pan (30) during the ice making operation is supplied to each of the ice making chambers (26a). In an ice maker that is adapted to supply water, it is formed so as to project downward at a position corresponding to each ice making chamber (26a) at the bottom of the water tray (30), and a required gap is formed inside the ice making chamber (26a). The recess (46) to be inserted and stored, the slit (46a) formed on the wall surface of the recess (46) and directed to the inner wall surface of the ice making chamber (26a), and the inner bottom surface of the water tray (30) Placed on each of the recesses (46)
Consisting of a straightening plate (50) having a through hole (50a) at a position corresponding to the ice making water supplied to the water tray (30), the through holes (50a) of the straightening plate (50). Through the corresponding recess (46) via
A water sprinkling structure for an ice maker, characterized in that water is supplied from a slit (46a) of the recess (46) toward an inner wall surface of the ice making chamber (26a).