JPH08178490A - Ice-making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain an ice-making machine wherein a time required for storage of water in a water tank and drainage thereof may be shortened. CONSTITUTION: An ice-making machine is equipped with a cooler 2 having a large number of ice-making chambers opening downward, a water tray 17 provided below the cooler in a state of being movable between a closing position at which it closes openings and an opening position at which it opens the openings, a water tank provided below the water tray and moving integrally with the water tray, and a spring 32 actuating the water tray to the closing position. An electromagnet 35 fixing the water tray at the closing position at the time of excitation is provided. Besides, a control device demagnetizes the electromagnet when a water temperature of the water tank becomes a temperature lower than a threshold value, while it excites the electromagnet when the water temperature of the water tank becomes a temperature higher than the threshold value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooler having a large number of downwardly opening ice making chambers, and a movable state between a closed position for closing the openings of the ice making chambers and an open position for opening the openings. And a water tray disposed below the cooler, the so-called reverse cell type ice making machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of ice making machine is described in, for example, JP-A-63-75460 (F25C1 / 22). In such a conventional ice maker, movement of the water tray between the open position and the closed position is performed by using a drive device such as a motor. Then, mechanical parts such as a motor arranged near the water tray may be rusted or broken due to moisture. Therefore, the applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 214906, a spring is used to urge the water tray to a normally closed position, and water is stored in a water tank that moves integrally with the water tray. Move the dish to the open position, then drain from the water tank,
We are considering an ice machine that moves the water tray to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring.

[0003]

By the way, at the time of ice making, the urging force of the spring moves the water tray to the closed position,
The water for ice making is stored in a water tank, and this water for ice making is jetted into the ice making chamber by a pump. Therefore, the biasing force of the spring is set so as to overcome the weight of the water tank and the water tray, the weight of the water stored in the water tank, and the reaction force when the water is ejected. On the other hand, in order to move the water tray to the open position after ice making, it is necessary to store in the water tank a weight of water that resists the biasing force of the spring. Then, after the ice is released from the water tray, in order to move the water tray to the closed position again, it is necessary to drain the water stored in the water tank this time. As described above, the ice maker stores water in the water tank and drains it from the water tank. However, there is a problem that the time required for the water storage and drainage is long and the time required for ice making is long.

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker capable of shortening the time required for storing and draining water in a water tank.

[0005]

The ice making machine of the present invention is a cooler (2) having a large number of downwardly opening ice making chambers (3).
And a water tray (17) disposed below the cooler in a movable state between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening, and a water tray (17) below the water tray. The water tank (41) is provided and moves integrally with the water tray, and a spring (32) for urging the water tray to a closed position. In order to achieve the above object, an electromagnet (35) for fixing the water tray in the closed position at the time of excitation is provided.

When the water temperature of the water tank becomes lower than a threshold value, the electromagnet is demagnetized, and when the water temperature of the water tank becomes higher than the threshold value. It is preferable that a control device for controlling the electromagnet to be excited is provided.

Furthermore, when the water tray is in the open position, the water in the water tank is drained, and when the water temperature in the water tank is low, the amount of water drained from the water tank is reduced so that the water temperature in the water tank is There are cases where a drainage means (45) for increasing the amount of drainage is provided when the temperature is high.

[0008]

[Operation] During ice making, the water tray is fixed in a closed position that closes the ice making chamber of the cooler by the biasing force of the spring and the magnetic force of the electromagnet. When the ice making is finished, the electromagnet is demagnetized,
The water tray is supported in the closed position only by the biasing force of the spring. Then, water is poured into the water tank so as to overcome the biasing force of the spring, the water tray is displaced to the open position, and the ice removing operation is performed.

The electromagnet is preferably controlled so that the electromagnet is excited when the water temperature of the water tank is high in the initial stage of ice making, and the electromagnet is demagnetized when the water temperature of the water tank becomes low at the end of ice making. .

Further, when the water tray is in the open position, the water in the water tank is drained, and when the water temperature in the water tank is low, the amount of water drained from the water tank is reduced so that the water temperature in the water tank is In some cases, a drainage unit that increases the amount of drainage when the temperature is high is provided. By the way, the water tray is in the open position at the time of ice removal, but at the initial stage of ice removal, the water supplied to the water tank is cooled by ice, so the water temperature of the water tank is low. Therefore, the drainage means reduces the amount of drainage from the water tank. As a result, the weight of the water in the water tank does not change much and the water tray remains in the open position. On the other hand, at the end of ice removal, ice is carried out and disappears, so the water temperature in the water tank rises. Therefore, the drainage means increases the amount of drainage from the water tank.
As a result, the weight of the water in the water tank is reduced, the water tray moves to the closed position by the urging force of the spring, and the ice removing operation ends.

[0011]

[Examples] Next, an example of the ice making machine of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice making machine of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the ice making machine. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ice making machine. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the water tray on the way of moving from the closed position to the open position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the water tray is in the open position.

1 to 3, a cooler 2 of a so-called reverse cell type ice making machine has a large number of ice making chambers 3 which open downward, and a cooling pipe 4 meanders on the upper surface thereof. The cooling pipe 4 is provided with a refrigerant from a refrigerator (not shown). The cooler 2 is fixed to the mounting portion 5 of the support frame of the ice making machine through the flange 6, and a switch 7 for detecting a water tray is provided on the side surface of the cooler 2.

On the left side of the cooler 2, a water supply pipe 11 attached to the mounting portion 5 is elongated along the side wall of the cooler 2, and the water supply pipe 11 has a substantially circular cross section.
A large number of holes 12 for discharging water are provided in the axial direction of the water supply pipe 11 on the right side of the lower part of the above, that is, on the wall on the cooler 2 side. The water supply pipe 11 is connected to a water pipe or the like via a valve (not shown).

A bracket 15 is hung down on the left side of the mounting portion 5.
The left end of the water tray 17 is rotatably supported by a shaft 18. The water tray 17 is movable between a substantially horizontal closed position for closing the opening of the ice making chamber 3 shown in FIG. 3 and an open position for opening the opening of the ice making chamber 3 shown in FIG. It is supported. The water tray 17 has a double structure of an upper plate 19 and a lower plate 20, and a flowing water passage 21 is formed between the upper plate 19 and the lower plate 20. Then, side plates 22 are attached to both side surfaces of the upper plate 19 and the lower plate 20. Further, a receiving portion 25 for receiving water supplied from the hole 12 of the water supply pipe 11 is provided at an end portion of the running water channel 21 on the shaft 18 side.
Is elongated in the width direction of the water tray 17 (the rotation axis direction of the water tray 17). On the other hand, the running water channel 21 on the side far from the shaft 18
The end portion 21a of the above is open, and the water supplied to the receiving portion 25 passes through the flowing water passage 21 and is discharged from the end portion 21a.

Below the bottom plate 20, an ice making channel 27 is provided.
Is provided, and a large number of fountain holes 28 penetrating the upper plate 19 and the lower plate 20 are connected to the ice making water passage 27.
This fountain hole 28 is arranged so as to correspond to the center of each ice making chamber 3. Further, a large number of return holes 29 are provided so as to penetrate the upper surface plate 19 and the lower surface plate 20 so as to drain the excess water in the ice making chamber 3.

At the upper end of the side plate 22 of the water tray 17,
An operating plate 31 for operating the switch 7 provided in the cooler 2 is provided so as to horizontally project. Also, the side plate 2
The right end portion (the end portion on the side far from the shaft 18) of 2 and the mounting portion 5 are connected by a constant load spring 32. The constant load spring 32 is a strip-shaped spring, and the upper end of the constant load spring 32 has the mounting portion 5
It is attached in a state in which it is wound around a shaft protruding from the water tray 17 and always urges the water tray 17 upward, that is, toward the closed position. Further, the right end portion of the side plate 22 is provided with a projecting portion 34 formed of an iron plate projecting upward, and on the other hand, the mounting portion 5 corresponding to the projecting portion 34 is provided with an electromagnet 35. The electromagnet 35 attracts the protruding portion 34 by an electromagnetic force, and by the biasing force of the constant force spring 32, the water tray 1
Hold 7 in the horizontal closed position. The electromagnet 35 is controlled by a detection value of a temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature in the water tank 41 by a control device (not shown). When the temperature is higher than a threshold value, the electromagnet 35 is supplied with electric power to be excited, If it is low, the power supply to the electromagnet 35 is stopped to demagnetize.

A water tank 41 is integrally provided under the water tray 17, and the water tank 41 moves integrally with the water tray 17. The water tank 41 has a partition wall 41a.
Is divided into a main body tank 41b and an auxiliary tank 41c for drainage, and the upper part of the main body tank 41b of the water tank 41 and the upper part of the auxiliary tank 41c communicate with each other through a communication hole 44 formed in the partition wall 41a. Further, a large number of drain holes 45 are provided on the lower wall of the auxiliary tank 41c. The drain holes 45 are formed as drain holes 45b, 45c in the direction away from the shaft 18 in order from the drain hole 45a on the side close to the shaft 18 of the water tray 17, and these drain holes 45a, 45b, 45c are respectively formed. Many are arranged in the width direction of the water tank 41 (axial direction of the shaft 18). And
The number of drain holes 45a is larger than the number of drain holes 45c, and the opening area on the side closer to the shaft 18 is larger than the opening area on the far side.

Further, a pump 4 is provided on the left side of the water tank 41.
7 are provided. The suction port of the pump 47 is connected to the water tank 41, while the discharge port of the pump 47 is connected to the ice-making water passage 27. The pump 47 sucks up the water in the water tank 41 at the time of driving to make the ice-making water passage. Two
Supplying the water to 7.

In the ice making machine thus constructed, ice making is performed as follows. Initially, since the water is not stored in the water tank 41, the water tray 17 is moved to the horizontal position, that is, the opening surface of the ice making chamber 3 by the biasing force of the constant force spring 32, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Is in a closed position to close the. Then, in order to start the ice making, a valve (not shown) is opened for a certain period of time to supply water to the water supply pipe 11. Then
Water is supplied from the hole 12 of the water supply pipe 11 to the receiving portion 25 of the water tray 17, and this water passes through the running water passage 21 and its end portion 2
Water is poured into the water tank 41 from 1a. A temperature sensor (not shown) detects the water temperature in the water tank 41. Since the water supply temperature is high, the electromagnet 35 is supplied with electric power and excited to adsorb the protrusion 34 of the water tray 17,
Lock in the closed position.

When a predetermined amount of water is stored in the water tank 41, the pump 47 is driven and the water in the water tank 41 is ejected from the fountain hole 28 via the ice making water passage 27. The water ejected from the fountain holes 28 freezes on the inner surface of the ice making chamber 3 cooled by the cooling pipe 4. The water that has not frozen returns to the water tank 41 through the return hole 29. By circulating the water with the pump 47 in this way, the ice in the ice making chamber 3 is grown to a predetermined size. Then, when the ice in the ice making chamber 3 grows to a predetermined size, the water temperature in the water tank 41 decreases, and the detection value of the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the water tank 41 is higher than the threshold value. The power becomes low, the power supply to the electromagnet 35 is stopped, and the electromagnet 35 is demagnetized. Further, the pump 47 is stopped and the supply of the refrigerant to the cooling pipe 4 is also stopped. This completes the ice making.

Next, the ice thus made is released.
For that purpose, hot gas is caused to flow through the cooling pipe 4 to separate the ice adhering to the ice making chamber 3 and drop it onto the water tray 17. At the same time, a valve (not shown) is opened for a certain period of time, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 11 to the receiving portion 25, and water is caused to flow into the water flow passage 21. Then, heat is applied to the upper portion of the water tray 17 by this water, and the adhesion between the ice-making ice and the water tray 17 is weakened.
Further, this water accumulates in the water tank 41, and the weight of the water gradually increases. Eventually, the total weight of this water and the weight of the water tray 17 and the water tank 41 overcomes the urging force of the constant force spring 32, and the water tray 17 rotates clockwise, resulting in the state shown in FIG. Become.

When the state shown in FIG. 4 is reached, the water in the main body tank 41b flows into the auxiliary tank 41c through the communication hole 44, and the water tray 17 is further rotated clockwise, as shown in FIG. It will be in the open position. And the auxiliary tank 41
The water flowing into c is discharged from the drain hole 45. Even if the water in the water tank 41 is drained from the drain hole 45 of the auxiliary tank 41c in this way, since the water is supplied from the water supply pipe 11 to the water tank 41, the amount of water in the water tank 41 is almost the same. It does not change and the water tray 17 can maintain the open position. Further, when the water tray 17 rotates clockwise about the shaft 18, the receiving portion 25 is displaced slightly to the left.
Then, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the water in the water supply pipe 11 that has been supplied to the receiving portion 25 in the state shown in FIG. 5 is supplied to the upper surface of the left end of the water tray 17, and this water is the water tray. It flows on the upper surface of 17 and flows into the water tank 41 from the right end of the water tray 17. In this way, since water flows on the upper surface of the water tray 17, the ice attached to the upper surface of the water tray 17 is washed away with the water. Since the gap between the end of the water tray 17 and the inner surface of the water tank 41 is small, the water falls into the water tank 41, but the ice moves from the right end of the water tray 17 to the upper surface of the water tank 41, and the water tank It falls from the right end of 41 and is stored in a storage (not shown).

After a certain period of time, a valve (not shown) is closed to stop the water supply to the water supply pipe 11. Then, since the water in the water tank 41 is drained from the drain hole 45 via the auxiliary tank 41c as described above, the weight of the water in the water tank 41 gradually decreases. Then, when the amount of water in the water tank 41 decreases by a predetermined amount, the water tray 17 is rotated counterclockwise, that is, in the closing direction by the biasing force of the constant force spring 32. Further, the drain hole 45 is the drain hole 45 on the side of the rotating shaft 18 of the water tray 17.
Since the opening area of a is large, the drainage speed from the auxiliary tank 41c increases as the water tray 17 is closed. Then, the water tray 17 rotates to a substantially horizontal closed position where it contacts the cooler 2 and becomes stable. Further, when the water tray 17 is in the closed position, the operating plate 31 of the water tray 17 operates the switch 7 to detect that the water tray 17 is in the closed position. Based on this detection, the next ice making operation starts, a valve (not shown) is opened, and water is supplied to the water supply pipe 11.

Although water is supplied to the water supply pipe 11 for a certain period of time during ice removal, this water supply time is changed depending on the outside air temperature and the temperature of the water supplied to the water supply pipe 11. For example, when the outside air temperature is high in the summer and the water temperature of the water supply pipe 11 is high, the water supply time is shortened as compared with the case where the temperature is low in the winter. This water supply time is performed by controlling the opening time of the valve with a timer or the like. Then, the time setting of the timer is automatically or manually performed based on the detection signal of the temperature sensor that detects the outside air temperature and the water supply temperature. By controlling the water supply time in this way, when the temperature is high and the ice-free time is short, such as in the summer, the time during which the ice making machine performs the ice-free operation is shortened.

As another embodiment, the drain hole 45 is provided with a valve made of, for example, a shape memory alloy, and the valve is deformed in accordance with the drain temperature (water temperature in the water tank 41). It is also possible to change the opening area of 45 according to the drainage temperature. That is, the water temperature of the water tank 41 is low because the water is cooled by the ice at the beginning of ice separation. On the other hand, when the ice removing is completed, the ice is discharged from the ice making machine and the ice making machine loses the ice, so that the water temperature of the water tank 41 rises. Therefore, when the water temperature of the water tank 41 at the initial stage of the ice removing operation is lower than the threshold value, that is, the transformation temperature of the shape memory alloy, the valve is closed, the opening area of the drain hole 45 is reduced, and the water tray 17 is opened. Maintain a state of being. On the other hand, when the ice removal is completed and the temperature of the water tank 41 rises and becomes higher than the threshold value, the valve is opened to increase the opening area of the drain hole 45, so that the water is quickly removed from the water tank 41. Then, the water tray 17 is discharged to reduce the weight, and the water tray 17 is controlled to be closed by the urging force of the constant force spring 32. By controlling in this way, the time when the water tray 17 is closed can be shortened. Further, the amount of water supply required when the water tray 17 is open can be reduced. In the case of this embodiment, the valve and the drainage hole 45 constitute drainage means for changing the amount of drainage according to the water temperature in the water tank.

As described above, in the embodiment, the water supplied from the hole 12 of the water supply pipe 11 is poured into the receiving portion 25 when the water tray 17 is in the closed position, and the water tray 17 is in the open position. Since water is poured on the upper surface of the water tray 17 at some time, the ice adhering to the upper surface of the water tray 17 can be quickly washed out and carried out during the ice removing operation. Therefore, water is supplied to the water tank 41 during ice making and the water tray 17 during ice removal.
The upper surface can be cleaned with the water supply pipe 11 which is one water supply device. For that purpose, the position of the hole 12 is changed to the water tray 1
When 7 is in the closed position, water can be poured into the receiving part 25, while
When the water tray 17 is in the open position, it may be adjusted to a position where water can be poured onto the upper surface of the water tray 17. In particular, when the hole 12 is formed not on the lowermost end of the water supply pipe 11 but on the wall of the water supply pipe 11 on the side opposite to the rotation shaft 18 of the water tray 17, the hole 12 is formed.
The water released from it falls in a parabola. Since the trajectory of the parabola of the discharged water moves in the direction away from the shaft 18 as it descends downward, the above adjustment can be easily performed.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention described in the claims. It is possible to make changes. A modified embodiment of the present invention is illustrated below. (1) In the embodiment, a large number of holes 1 are formed in the water supply pipe 11.
By forming 2, the water supply opening is a water supply pipe 1
Although the water supply pipe 11 is formed to be elongated in the axial direction, the opening of the water supply pipe 11 can be formed by an elongated hole in the axial direction of the water supply pipe 11.

(2) The valves formed of the shape memory alloy or the like provided in the drain holes 45 can be provided in all the drain holes 45, or in only some of the drain holes 45. Further, although the valve of the drain hole 45 is opened and closed by the shape memory alloy, other appropriate means, for example, the water temperature of the water tank 41 is detected by the temperature sensor, and the control device is based on the detection signal of the temperature detection sensor. It is also possible to drive a driving device such as a motor to control the opening and closing of the valve. (3) In the embodiment, a large number of drain holes 45 are provided, but the number can be changed as appropriate. Also, drain hole 4
The shape of 5 is not limited to a circle, but can be changed to an elongated shape as appropriate.

[0029]

According to the present invention, at the time of ice making, the water tray is maintained in the closed position by the biasing force of the spring and the magnetic force of the electromagnet. Therefore, the urging force of the spring can be reduced as compared with the case where the water tray is maintained in the closed position by only the spring. Then, at the time of ice removal, the electromagnet is demagnetized, and only the biasing force of the spring biases the water tray to the closed position. Therefore,
At the time of ice removal, in order to displace the water tray to the open position, it is sufficient to inject a sufficient amount of water to overcome the urging force of the spring, which has been reduced as described above. It can be small compared to maintaining the water tray in the closed position. As a result, the capacity of the water tank can be reduced. Also, the water injection time is shortened.

When the electromagnet is controlled based on the water temperature of the water tank, when the water temperature of the water tank is high in the initial stage of ice making, the electromagnet is excited and the water temperature of the water tank becomes low at the end of ice making. At times, the electromagnet is controlled so as to be demagnetized. Therefore, during ice making, the water tray can be locked in the closed position by the electromagnet. On the other hand, at the end of ice making, the electromagnet allows the water tray to move to the open position. As a result, the water tray can be moved accurately.

Further, when the water tray is in the open position, the water in the water tank is drained, and when the water temperature of the water tank is low, the amount of drainage from the water tank is reduced, and when the water temperature of the water tank is high, It may be equipped with drainage means for increasing the amount of drainage. In this case, when the water temperature of the water tank is low in the initial period of ice removal, the drainage means reduces the amount of drainage from the water tank to maintain the water tray in the open position.
Therefore, the amount of water poured into the water tank can be reduced.

On the other hand, when the water temperature of the water tank rises at the end of ice removal, the drainage means increases the amount of drainage from the water tank to lighten the water tank and displace the water tray to the closed position by the biasing force of the spring. . Therefore, the time required to drain the water from the water tank can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice making machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the ice making machine.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the ice maker.

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the water tray during the movement from the closed position to the open position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view when the water tray is in the open position.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Cooler 3 Ice maker 17 Water tray 32 Constant load spring 35 Electromagnet 41 Water tank 45 Drain hole (drainage means)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cooler having a large number of downwardly opening ice making chambers, and a cooler disposed below the cooler in a movable state between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening. An installed water tray, a water tank that is arranged below the water tray and moves integrally with the water tray, a spring that urges the water tray to a closed position, and the water tray when excited. Ice machine with an electromagnet for fixing in the closed position. 2. The electromagnet is demagnetized when the water temperature of the water tank becomes lower than a threshold value, while the water temperature of the water tank becomes higher than the threshold value. The ice making machine according to claim 1, further comprising a control device for controlling the electromagnet to be excited. 3. A cooler having a large number of downwardly opening ice making chambers, and a cooler disposed below the cooler in a movable state between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening. An installed water tray, a water tank that is disposed below the water tray and moves integrally with the water tray, a spring that biases the water tray to a closed position, and the water tray that opens. Drainage means for draining the water in the water tank when in the position, reducing the amount of drainage from the water tank when the water temperature of the water tank is low, and increasing the amount of drainage when the water temperature of the water tank is high An ice machine equipped with.