JPH0842944A - Icemaker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an icemaker in which ice dried without containing excess water content can be continuously made and subcooling water can be heated of reoperated while ice remains stored in an ice storage unit. CONSTITUTION:The icemaker is divided into an ice storage tank 2, an icemaking unit 7 and an ice storage unit 8. A conveyor conveying unit 9 having a drive drum 21 and a conveyor belt 20 is disposed in the unit 7. Ice C generated by injecting subcooling water from an injection nozzle 12 is received by an ice vessel 22 fixed onto a conveyor belt 20, and an icemaker 1 is so formed as to convey the ice C up to the unit 8 while intermittently rotatably driving the belt 20 via the drum 21. Thus, the subcooling water injected from the nozzle 12 is effectively prevented from being always sprayed with the ice C in the vessel 22 to continuously make ice dried without containing excess subcooling water in the ice C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice making device capable of making various types of ice using supercooled water, and in particular, ice making capable of continuously making dried ice without containing excess water. It relates to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, various ice making devices have been proposed for making ice in various forms using supercooled water. For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 5-50671, brine cooled by a refrigerator is circulated to an outer coil of a double-tube heat exchanger through a brine circulation pump, and water is doubled through a water circulation pump. It circulates in the inner coil of the tube-type heat exchanger to generate supercooled water, and the supercooled water is jetted into the ice storage tank through the nozzle and opening of the branch pipe to make ice on the perforated plate. An ice making device is described. In this manufacturing device, supercooled water is continuously sprayed onto the perforated plate arranged in the ice storage tank to release the supercooled state of the supercooled water and ice is manufactured on the perforated plate. Is.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional ice producing apparatus, ice is produced on the perforated plate while continuously injecting the supercooled water into the ice storage tank. The supercooled water is sprayed and hung on the ice produced above. At this time, although the supercooled water on the ice flows down from the perforated plate, the produced ice is constantly covered with the supercooled water, so the ice contains a lot of water. As a result, there is a problem that the ice becomes sticky and the useful value is halved.

When the supercooled water freezes in the circulation path of the supercooled water or near the jetting opening of the supercooled water, it is necessary to heat the supercooled water in order to melt the frozen ice. , Since the warm water generated during such heating is applied to the ice in the ice storage tank and melts the ice, it is necessary to perform the heating operation of the supercooled water after the ice in the ice storage tank is taken out of the tank. is there. Thus, in the conventional manufacturing apparatus, when performing supercooled water heating or when restarting (water that has not been supercooled at the beginning of restarting is injected into the ice storage tank), It is necessary to take out ice from the ice storage tank in advance. The operation of taking out the ice is complicated, and there is a problem that the supercooled water cannot be heated or the manufacturing apparatus cannot be restarted in a state where the ice is stored in the ice storage tank.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. An ice making unit is provided which divides an ice storage tank into an ice making unit and an ice storing unit and conveys the ice made to the ice storing unit. By arranging in the above, it is possible to continuously make dry ice without containing excess water, and to heat or restart the supercooled water while the ice is stored in the ice storage part. It is an object to provide an ice making device.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a subcooler having a double structure including a first flow path portion and a second flow path portion, and a brine cooling device for cooling brine. A brine circulating device for circulating the brine cooled by the brine cooling device along the circulation path returning from the first flow path portion of the subcooler to the brine cooling device, the ice storage tank, and the ice making water in the ice storage tank. An ice making water circulation device that circulates along a circulation path returning from the second flow passage portion of the subcooler to the ice storage tank, and ice making water circulation through the brine circulated in the first flow passage portion by the brine circulation device. In an ice making device for making ice by ice-cooling ice making water circulated in the second flow path by the device, the ice storage tank is divided into an ice making part and an ice storing part, and Storage of ice produced by freezing ice-cooled water Transfer device for transferring is configured to disposed.

Further, the transfer device includes a conveyor belt,
And a plurality of ice containers arranged on a conveyor belt. Further, the ice container has a mesh structure.
Moreover, it is configured to have an ice making water injection nozzle continuously provided in the second flow path portion, and a heater provided at a tip of the ice making water injection nozzle.

[0008]

In the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, when the ice is made from the supercooled water, the brine cooled by the brine cooling device is cooled by the brine circulation device from the first flow path portion of the supercooler. It is circulated along the circulation path back to the device. At the same time, the ice making water in the ice storage tank is circulated through the ice making water circulation device along the circulation path returning from the second flow path portion of the subcooler to the ice storage tank. Then, the ice-making water circulated in the second flow path portion is supercooled through the brine circulated in the first flow passage portion, and the ice-making water is frozen by eliminating the supercooled state of the supercooled ice-making water. Is produced to produce ice.

Here, the ice storage tank is divided into an ice making section and an ice storage section, and the ice making water is made in the ice making section in the ice storage tank.
The produced ice is transferred to the ice storage unit via the transfer device and then stored in the ice storage unit. As described above, in the present invention, since the ice made in the ice making unit is conveyed to the ice storage unit via the conveying device, the supercooled ice making water is not constantly applied to the ice, and therefore, the extra Dry ice can be continuously made without the inclusion of water. In addition, since ice is stored in an ice storage unit that is configured separately from the ice making unit, even when supercooled water is heated or restarted while ice is stored in the ice storage unit, warm water that is not supercooled is used. Does not melt on the ice and melts the ice at all, and therefore it is possible to heat or restart the supercooled water while the ice is stored in the ice storage section without taking out the ice from the ice storage tank.

Further, when the conveying device is composed of a conveyor belt and a plurality of ice containers arranged on the conveyor belt, a certain amount of ice-making ice is stored in the ice container and then passed through the conveyor belt. Then, it is possible to continuously carry out a series of operations in which ice is made from supercooled water and then the ice is stored in the ice storage unit. Furthermore, when each ice container has a net-like structure, supercooled water contained in the ice is drained downward while the ice is put in each ice container and conveyed to the ice storage unit. It can surely prevent more ice stickiness. Further, when the ice making water injection nozzle is continuously provided in the second flow path portion of the supercooler and the heater is provided at the tip of the injection nozzle, the supercooled water frozen at the tip of the ice making water injection nozzle Can be easily melted.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An ice making device according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment embodying the present invention. First, FIG. 1 shows the schematic configuration of the ice making device.
It will be explained based on. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a schematic configuration of an ice making device. The ice making device 1 is provided above an ice storage tank 2 and an ice storage tank 2 for making ice from supercooled water and storing the ice made. , A sub-cooler 3 having a double tube structure in which a brine channel 3A is formed on the outside and an ice making water channel 3B is formed on the inside,
An ice making water circulation device 5 for circulating the ice making water stored in the ice making water storage part 4 of the ice storage tank 2 along a circulation path returning from the ice making water flow path 3B of the subcooler 3 to the ice storage tank 2. It is composed of a brine circulation device 6 that circulates brine in the brine flow path 3A of the subcooler 3.

Here, the ice storage tank 2 has
It is divided into an ice making section 7 (located on the left side in FIG. 1) and an ice storage section 8 (located on the right side in FIG. 1). The ice making section 7 is provided with an ice making water storage section 4 for storing ice making water below, and a conveyor carrying device 9 is provided above the ice making water storage section 4. As will be described later, the conveyor transport device 9 transports the ice made by ice-cooling the supercooled water to the ice storage unit 8.

The ice storage section 8 stores the ice conveyed by the conveyer conveyor 9 in sequence, and a cooling pipe 10 for keeping the inside of the ice storage section 8 at a predetermined temperature is arranged above the ice storage section 8. Further, a take-out door 11 for taking out ice is attached at the rear position of the ice storage section 8 (right side position in FIG. 1) so as to be openable and closable. As a result, the ice carried by the conveyor carrying device 9 is sequentially stored in the ice storage unit 8 maintained at a predetermined temperature via the cooling pipe 10,
Ice is taken out of the ice storage tank 2 via the take-out door 11 as needed.

Further, the subcooler 3 has a double tube structure in which a brine flow path 3A is provided on the outside and an ice making water flow path 3B is provided on the inside. Since such a structure is well known, its description will be given here. Is omitted. Further, one end of the subcooler 3 faces the upper inside of the ice storage tank 2, and the one end of the subcooler 3 is connected to an injection nozzle 12 continuous to the ice making water flow path 3B. A heater H is attached to the tip of the injection nozzle 12.
Is provided, and the heater 12 is provided with the injection nozzle 1
This is for melting the ice when 2 is closed by freezing of supercooled water.

The ice-making water circulation device 5 comprises an ice-making water feed pipe 13 for connecting the ice-making water storage part 4 and the ice-making water flow passage 3B, and an ice-making water pump 14 arranged in the middle of the ice-making water feed pipe 13. The ice-making water stored in the ice-making water storage part 4 of the ice-making part 7 in the ice tank 2 is circulated so as to return from the ice-making water flow path 3B of the subcooler 3 to the ice-making water storage part 4.

The brine circulator 6 includes a brine cooler 15, a brine feed pipe 16 connecting the brine cooler 15 to the brine flow path 3A of the subcooler 3, and a brine cooled by the brine cooler 15. It is composed of a brine pump 17 that circulates through the brine feed pipe 16 to the brine flow path 3A. As a result, the brine cooled to 0 ° C. or less by the brine cooler 15 is sent from the brine feed pipe 16 to the brine flow passage 3A of the subcooler 3 by the action of the brine pump 17, and is also fed from the brine flow passage 3A. It is circulated to the brine cooler 15 via the pipe 16. Thus, while the brine is circulated in the brine flow path 3A of the subcooler 3, the ice making water circulated in the ice making water flow path 3B through the ice making water circulation device 5 is supercooled in the subcooler 3. The supercooled ice making water is put into a state, and when the supercooled ice making water is jetted from the jet nozzle 12 onto the conveyor device 9, the supercooled state is canceled and freezing is started.

Next, the detailed structure of the ice storage tank 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the ice storage tank 2, and the conveyor carrying device 9 arranged in the ice making section 7 is configured as follows. That is, in FIG.
The conveyor carrying device 9 includes a conveyor belt 20 and a pair of drive drums 21 that rotate the conveyor belt 20 in the direction of the arrow. A plurality of (six in FIG. 2) ice containers 22 are fixedly mounted on the peripheral surface of the conveyor belt 20, and each ice container 22 has a bottom portion formed in a mesh structure. Then, each ice container 22 receives ice C generated by freezing of the supercooled water jetted from the jet nozzle 12 as described above to eliminate the supercooled state, and the ice C is kept constant. Each drive drum 2 after collecting
It is conveyed toward the ice storage unit 8 together with the conveyor belt 20 which is rotatably driven via 1, and the ice C is discharged into the ice storage unit 8.

At this time, since the bottom of each ice container 22 is formed in a net shape, the water contained in the ice C is flowed down to the ice making water storage section 4 while being transported. This allows
The ice C is drained to obtain dried ice C.

Next, the ice making device 1 configured as described above.
The operation of will be described. When the ice making device 1 is turned on and ice making is started, the ice making water stored in the ice making water storage unit 4 of the ice making unit 7 is supercooled from the ice making water feed pipe 13 via the ice making water pump 14. 3 is sent to the ice making water passage 3B, and the ice making water is further jetted from the ice making water passage 3B into the ice making section 7 through the jet nozzle 12. At the same time that the ice-making water circulation operation is performed, the brine cooler 15
The brine cooled below flows from the brine feed pipe 16 into the brine flow path 3A of the subcooler 3 via the brine pump 17, and is further circulated from the brine feed pipe 16 to the brine cooler 15.

When the cooled brine flows into the brine flow path 3A in this way, the ice making water flowing in the ice making water flow path 3B is cooled to a supercooled state through the brine, and the jet nozzle 12 ejects the ice making water. At the time of injection, the supercooled state is resolved and freezing starts. Then, the frozen ice C is dropped and stored in the ice container 22 on the conveyor belt 20 stopped at a predetermined position in the ice making unit 7.
At this time, since the bottom of the ice container 22 is formed in a net-like structure, the supercooled water that has not been completely frozen is allowed to flow downward from the bottom and collected in the ice-making water storage unit 4.

The driving drum 21 is intermittently driven at regular intervals (time required for accumulating a predetermined amount of ice C in the ice container 22) via a timer or the like to measure a constant time by a timer or the like. After being clocked, it is driven to rotate and empty ice container 2
The ice container 22 storing the ice C is conveyed toward the ice storage unit 8 until the ice 2 is moved to the position where the ice C falls. While the drive drum 21 is intermittently driven in this manner, the supercooled water contained in the ice C stored in the ice container 22 flows down through the net structure of the bottom thereof, and as a result, That is, dried ice C is obtained. When the ice container 22 reaches the ice storage unit 8, as shown in FIG.
The ice C stored in the ice storage unit 8 is released into the ice storage unit 8, and is sequentially and continuously stored in the ice storage unit 8. The ice C thus stored is taken out of the ice making device 1 through the opening / closing door 11 as needed.

When the injection nozzle 12 is blocked by the freezing of supercooled water while the ice making operation is being performed as described above, the heater H is heated to melt the frozen ice. It As a result, even when the injection nozzle 12 is blocked by ice, it is possible to easily melt and continue the ice making operation.

As described in detail above, in the ice making device 1 according to this embodiment, the ice storage tank 2 is divided into the ice making section 7 and the ice storing section 8, and the driving drum 21 and the conveyor belt 20 are provided in the ice making section 7.
And a drive drum 21 for receiving the ice C generated by jetting the supercooled water from the jet nozzle 12 in the ice container 22 fixed on the conveyor belt 20. Through conveyor belt 2
Since the ice C is conveyed to the ice storage unit 8 while intermittently rotating 0, it is ensured that the supercooled water jetted from the jet nozzle 12 is constantly sprayed on the ice C in the ice container 22. Can be prevented. As a result, the dried ice can be continuously made into ice without excess supercooled water being contained in the ice C.

In particular, the extra supercooled water contained in the ice C is
While transporting each ice container 22 via the conveyor transport device 9, it will be flowed downward from the net-like structure at the bottom of the ice container, thus ensuring the excess supercooled water contained in the ice C, In addition, it is possible to efficiently drain water to make ice with high utility value. Further, the ice-making ice C does not stay in the ice-making unit 7 and is continuously stored in the ice storage unit 8. Therefore, the supercooled water is frozen in the ice-making water feed pipe 13 for circulating the supercooled water. Or spray nozzle 1
When the supercooled water freezes at the tip of 2, ice C is stored in the ice storage tank 2
Even if the supercooled water is heated or the ice making device 1 is restarted without being taken out from there, there is no possibility that the warm ice making water will be splashed on the ice C. As a result, even when the supercooled water is heated or the ice making device 1 is restarted in a state where the ice C is stored in the ice storage unit 8, it is possible to reliably prevent the ice C from melting, and the supercooled water can be prevented. It is not necessary to perform the complicated work of taking out the ice C from the ice storage tank 2 every time the heating of 1 and the restart of the ice making device 1 are performed.

In particular, since the heater H is arranged at the tip of the injection nozzle 12, even if the injection nozzle 12 is blocked due to freezing of supercooled water, if the ice is melted through the heater H, The circulation of the supercooled water can be restarted easily and easily. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the ice storage tank is divided into the ice making section and the ice storing section, and the conveying device for conveying the ice-made ice to the ice storing section is provided in the ice making section, so that an extra portion is provided. It is possible to provide an ice making device capable of continuously making dry ice without containing water and heating or restarting supercooled water while storing ice in the ice storage part, The effect that it plays in industry is great.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ice making device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing an ice storage tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ice making device, 2 ... Ice storage tank, 3 ... Supercooler, 3A ... Brine flow path, 3B ... Ice making water flow path,
4 ... Ice making water storage part, 5 ... Ice making water circulation device, 6 ...
..Brine circulation device, 7 ... ice making part, 8 ... ice storage part, 9 ... conveyor transport device, 12 ... injection nozzle, 13 ... ice making water feed pipe, 14 ... ice making water Pump, 15 ... Brine cooler, 16 ... Brine feed pipe, 17 ... Brine pump, 20 ... Conveyor belt, 21 ... Drive drum, 22 ... Ice container, C
... Ice, H ... Heater

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A subcooler having a double structure consisting of a first flow path portion and a second flow path portion, a brine cooling device for cooling brine, and a brine cooled by the brine cooling device. A brine circulation device that circulates along a circulation path that returns from the first flow path portion to the brine cooling device, an ice storage tank, and ice-making water in the ice storage tank from the second flow path portion of the subcooler to the ice storage tank. And an ice making water circulation device that circulates along the returning circulation path, and is supercooled by being circulated to the second flow passage part by the ice making water circulation device via the brine circulated to the first flow passage part by the brine circulation device. In an ice making device for producing ice by freezing ice making water, the ice storage tank is divided into an ice making unit and an ice storing unit,
An ice making device, wherein the ice making unit is provided with a carrying device for carrying ice produced by freezing supercooled ice making water to an ice storage unit. 2. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein the carrying device has a conveyor belt and a plurality of ice containers arranged on the conveyor belt. 3. The ice making device according to claim 2, wherein the ice container has a mesh structure. 4. The ice making water injection nozzle continuously provided in the second flow path portion, and a heater disposed at the tip of the ice making water injection nozzle. Ice maker.