JPH0854165A - Ice piece reserving and transferring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To retain a reserving chamber, reserving ice pieces, in air-tight and transfer the ice pieces efficiently while preventing the melting of the ice pieces. CONSTITUTION:Ice pieces, manufactured by an ice making machine 8 mounted on the upper part of a reserving chamber 10, are dropped and released into the upper space 18 of the reserving chamber 10, then, are dropped into a lower space 12 through a communicating port 39 by a conveyer 20 and are reserved therein. When a transfer signal is received from an ice reserving chamber 54, compressed air evergizes a pushing means 33 through an air sending tube 30 by the starting of a fan blower 26 and a damper 40 is closed to retain the inside of the lower space 12 in air-tight. The ice pieces, transferred to a transferring unit 46 by the conveyers 14, 16, are transferred into the ice reserving chamber 54 by cooling compressed air, sent into the transferring unit 46 through an air sending tube 28. The compressed air, employed for the transfer of the ice pieces, is recovered into the fan blower 26 through a suction tube 32 and is employed again for the transfer of the ice pieces.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice piece storage / conveyance device for conveying ice pieces of a desired shape stored in a storage to a destination by compressed air.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ice pieces such as flake ice and chip ice produced by an ice making machine are stored in a storage container in a required amount, and taken out from the storage container as needed for use. An air carrier device is known as a means for carrying a large amount of ice pieces from a storage to a target point. This air transfer device is configured to be capable of receiving ice pieces carried out from a storage and has a transfer pipe that opens at a target point, and a fan blower is connected to the upstream side of the ice piece supply portion of the transfer pipe. By supplying the air compressed by the fan blower into the carrier pipe, the ice pieces supplied from the supply unit into the carrier pipe are pressure-fed toward a target point.

[0003]

When the air carrier is installed in the storage provided with the ice maker, the ice maker, the storage and the carrier pipe communicate with each other. Therefore, the fan blower is operated to supply the compressed air into the carrier pipe. When supplied, a part of the air flows into the ice making machine from the inside of the storage and the internal air pressure rises. In this case, there is a problem that the water (ice making water) stored in the ice making tank that constitutes the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine is scattered due to an increase in atmospheric pressure in the ice making machine, and normal ice making cannot be performed. Further, since the air in the carrier pipe and the storage escapes to the ice making machine side, the wind pressure in the carrier pipe does not reach a certain value or more, which may hinder the transportation of the ice pieces. By using a fan blower with a high output, it is possible to keep the wind pressure in the carrier pipe above a certain level even if the air escapes.
At this time, there is a problem that the atmospheric pressure in the ice making machine greatly rises to promote the above-mentioned problems and also increases the equipment cost and the running cost. It is also pointed out that the amount of heat generated by the fan blower increases and the ice pieces stored in the storage compartment melt.

Further, since the fan blower sends the outside uncooled air into the transfer pipe, the ice pieces being transferred are melted or the outside air is sucked into the storage and the temperature rises to store the air. The ice pieces being melted may melt,
There was a problem that the loss of ice chips would increase.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has been proposed in order to solve the problem, and an air-tight container for storing ice pieces of a required shape is kept airtight. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice piece storage / conveyance device capable of achieving efficient conveyance and preventing melting of ice pieces.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and preferably achieve an intended purpose, an ice piece storing and conveying device according to the present invention stores ice pieces of a required shape stored in a storage box. In a storage / conveyance device that is supplied to a carry-out section that communicates with a storage, and conveys the ice pieces by compressed air that is supplied from a blower device that is connected to the carry-out section, the storage / transportation apparatus is disposed in the storage and An opening / closing member capable of opening / closing the provided opening portion and a blower pipe branched from the blower are connected to each other, and a pressing means capable of abutting / separatingly moving to / from the open / close member is provided, and the blower pipe is connected from the blower. It is characterized in that the pressing means is brought into contact with the opening / closing member by the compressed air supplied via the opening / closing member to close the opening portion.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, another invention of the present application is to supply an ice piece of a required shape stored in a storage to a carry-out section communicating with the storage, and to connect the blow-out apparatus to communicate with the carry-out section. In the storage and transport device configured to transport the ice pieces by compressed air supplied from, a transport pipe that communicates the carry-out portion and the transport target point of the ice pieces, the suction pipe of the blower device is connected and connected, The compressed air that has carried the ice pieces from the carry-out section to the intended destination is collected by the blower and used again as the compressed air for carrying.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a preferred embodiment of the ice piece storage / conveying apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the whole ice piece storage / conveyance device 1 according to the embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic cross-sectional views of a main part of the storage / conveyance device 1. As shown in the figure, an ice making machine 8 is mounted on an upper portion of a storage box 10 having a substantially box shape as a whole, and ice pieces such as chip ice, ice cubes, and crescent ice produced by the ice making machine 8 communicate with each other in the storage box 10. It is released through the mouth 9. A partition plate 19 is arranged inside the storage 10, and an upper space 18 for temporarily storing the ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 is defined on the partition plate 19 and the partition plate 19 is provided. A lower space 12 capable of accumulating and storing ice pieces to a predetermined level is defined in the lower part of the. In addition, a heat insulating material (not shown) is coated on the outer surface of the side wall of the storage 10, so as to suppress melting of the stored ice pieces. An opening / closing door 11 is arranged at an appropriate position on the side wall of the storage 10, and by opening the opening / closing door 11,
The ice pieces stored in the lower space 12 can be taken out.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper space 18 has a bottom portion formed into a substantially ship bottom shape, and the ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 fall into the space 18 through the communication port 9 and are discharged. Stored at the bottom. The volume of the upper space 18 is set to a volume capable of storing the ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 in one cycle. A chute 38 is formed at the bottom of the upper space 18 at a position spaced apart from directly below the communication port 9 and is inclined downward at a required angle. The chute 38 is connected to the lower space 12 via the communication port 39. It is configured to communicate with (see FIG. 7). And this communication port 39
Is opened and closed by a damper 40 described later. A first screw conveyor 20 is rotatably arranged in the upper space 18 along its longitudinal direction, and the conveyor 20 is rotated in a required direction by a motor 22 arranged outside the storage. This first screw conveyor 2
In 0, an abacus ball-shaped flow dividing plate 21 is arranged at a position directly above the chute 38, and the flow dividing plate 2 is
On the left and right sides with 1 as a boundary, spiral blades with a right and left reverse pitch are formed. That is, when the motor 22 rotates the first screw conveyor 20, the ice pieces stored in the upper space 18 are transferred toward the flow dividing plate 21,
The ice pieces approaching the flow dividing plate 21 from both sides come into contact with both inclined surfaces 21a, 21a of the flow dividing plate 21, and the screw shaft 20a
The ice pieces located below the horizontal plane with respect to
The ice pieces that fall to 8 and are located above the horizontal plane with respect to the screw shaft 20a rise apart from each other. As a result, the ice pieces are pressed against each other and cracked, or the conveyor 2
The load on 0 can be avoided.

A damper 40 is rotatably supported by a communication port 39 of the chute 38 via a hinge 42 in a state where the communication port 39 can be opened and closed, and the first screw conveyor. The ice pieces transferred by 20 open the damper 40 and are discharged to the lower space 12. The damper 40 functions to close the communication port 39 by the pressing means 33 that is operated by the operation of the fan blower 26, which will be described later, to maintain the lower space 12 in an airtight state. Further, an ice storage detecting switch 13 is arranged inside the lower space 12, and when the switch 13 detects that a predetermined amount of ice pieces is stored in the space 12, the operation of the ice making machine 8 is stopped. It is set. Further, the first
The screw conveyor 20 starts to rotate when the ice making machine 8 shifts from the ice making operation to the deicing operation, and the amount of ice pieces produced in one cycle discharged from the ice making machine 8 to the upper space 18 becomes a lower space. It is designed to be operated only for the time it releases to 12. The first screw conveyor 20 is set so as not to start the operation while the fan blower 26 is in operation.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom portion of the lower space 12 is formed into a substantially ship bottom shape, and the second screw conveyor 14 rotated by a motor 24 in a required direction is provided at the lowermost portion in the longitudinal direction. It is arranged along. Below the lower space 12, a carry-out space 44 communicating with the lower space 12 through the opening 23 is defined, and the ice pieces discharged from the lower space 12 into the carry-out space 44 through the opening 23 are Third screw conveyor 16 disposed in the transfer space 44
By rotating the motor 24 by the motor 24,
It is designed to be transferred to 6. As shown in FIG. 5, the second screw conveyor 14 is provided with the abacus sphere-shaped flow distribution plate 15 at a position just above the opening 23 as in the case of the first screw conveyor 20. Spiral blades having a reverse pitch on the left and right sides are formed on both the left and right sides of the flow dividing plate 15 as a boundary. That is, the motor 2
When the second screw conveyor 14 is rotated by 4,
The ice pieces stored in the lower space 12 are transferred toward the flow dividing plate 15, and the ice pieces approaching the flow dividing plate 15 from both sides are
The ice pieces, which are in contact with both inclined surfaces 15a, 15a of the flow distribution plate 15 and are located below the horizontal plane with respect to the screw shaft 14a, drop into the transport space 44 from the opening 23, and from the horizontal plane with respect to the screw shaft 14a. The ice pieces located above rise and separate. As a result, it is possible to prevent the ice pieces from being pressed against each other to generate cracks or to apply a load to the conveyor 14.

The gap defined between the upper surface of the transfer space 44 and the upper end of the third screw conveyor 16 is
It is set to be larger than the outer size of one ice piece manufactured by the ice making machine 8 and is configured to prevent the ice piece transferred by the third screw conveyor 16 from being caught between the top surface and the ice piece. . Further, the speed of the third screw conveyor 16 is set to be higher than the speed of the second screw conveyor 14, so that the ice pieces discharged from the lower space 12 to the transport space 44 are transferred to the carry-out section 46 without being clogged. is there. Further, a drain 48 for draining water is provided on the bottom surface of the transport space 44.

As shown in FIG. 4, the unloading portion 46 to which the ice pieces are transferred by the third screw conveyor 16 is
The opening 46 intersects the direction in which the ice pieces are transferred by the conveyor 16.
a, 46b are formed, and the air blow pipe 28 of the fan blower 26 arranged in the space 17 (see FIG. 3) formed between the inclined bottom surface of the lower space 12 and the side wall of the storage 10 is formed in one opening 46a. Connected for communication. The other opening 46b
A transport pipe 50 that communicates with an ice storage 54, which is a destination for transporting ice pieces, is connected to the. That is, by supplying compressed air from the fan blower 26 to the carry-out section 46, the ice pieces transferred to the carry-out section 46 by the third screw conveyor 16 are transferred to the ice storage 54 by the compressed air via the carrier pipe 50. Be transported. A water drop separator 53 is inserted in the middle of the transfer pipe 50 to remove water drops generated from ice pieces being transferred.

A blower pipe 30 branched and connected in the middle of the blower pipe 28 is drawn into the lower space 12 and extends to the outer surface 40a side of the damper 40, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. At the end 30a of the blower pipe 30, a pressing means 33 that can be biased by compressed air is provided. The pressing means 33 includes a bottomed cylindrical body 34 slidably fitted on the end portion 30a of the blower pipe 30, and a bottom portion of the bottomed cylindrical body 34.
When the fan blower 26 is started to convey the ice pieces, a part of the compressed air flowing through the blower pipe 28 flows into the blower pipe 30. The bottomed cylinder 34 is adapted to be pushed forward. Then, the contact rod 36 of the bottomed cylindrical body 34 that has advanced is
As shown in FIG. 6, the communication port 3 is abutted against the damper 40.
9 is set to be closed. Further, when the operation of the fan blower 26 is stopped, the bottomed cylindrical body 34 retreats due to the weight of the ice pieces falling on the chute 38 to allow the damper 40 to open, so that the ice pieces are discharged to the lower space 12. Further, a tension spring 41 is stretched between the outer surface 40a of the damper 40 and the inner wall surface of the storage 10, and is set so as to keep the damper 40 and the contact rod 36 always in contact with each other.

The blower pipe 30 is made of a hard member having only the end portion 30a connected to the pressing means 33 set to a required pipe diameter, and the other portion is made of a flexible small-diameter hose. By doing so, the piping can be easily performed. Further, the connecting portion between the blower pipe 30 and the pressing means 33 does not require high assembly accuracy, a slight air leak is allowed, and the compressed air leaking to the lower space 12 raises the atmospheric pressure in the space to cause a damper. This contributes to the blockage of the communication port 39 by 40. Further, the abutting rod 36 is arranged so that the protruding amount thereof can be adjusted with respect to the bottomed cylindrical body 34. Further, it is recommended that a high pressure detection switch, a low pressure detection switch, and an abnormal pressure detection switch be provided in the blower pipe 28 of the fan blower 26, and that the fan blower 26 be operated and controlled by the detected value of each switch.

The suction pipe 32 of the fan blower 26 is connected to the transfer pipe 50 as shown in FIG.
The ice pieces transported through the transport pipe 50 branch at the branch point 5 with the suction pipe 32.
The compressed air carrying the ice pieces is returned to the fan blower 26 via the suction pipe 32 while falling into the ice storage 54 at 2. That is, since the cooled air in the storage 10 is circulated and used as the compressed air for transportation, it is possible to prevent the ice pieces being transported from melting and the temperature inside the storage 10 from rising.

[0017]

Operation of the Embodiment Next, the operation of the ice piece storing and conveying apparatus according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 8 and 9.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart when the ice storage machine 8 receives a transportation signal from the ice storage 54 while the ice making machine 8 is in the ice making operation. It should be noted that all the ice pieces manufactured by the previous ice making operation and discharged to the upper space 18 of the storage 10 are dropped and discharged to the lower space 12 by the first screw conveyor 20, and the first screw conveyor 20 is stopped. There is. That is, the fan blower 26 is first activated by the carrier signal, and compressed air is supplied to the carry-out section 46 through the blower pipe 28.
At this time, a part of the compressed air flowing through the blower pipe 28 is supplied to the pressing means 33 via the blower pipe 30, and the bottomed cylindrical body 34 is advanced to urge the damper 40 in the closing direction. As a result, the communication port 39 that connects the upper space 18 and the lower space 12 is closed by the damper 40, and the inside of the lower space 12 is maintained airtight (see FIG. 6). Further, the motor 24 is activated to rotate the second screw conveyor 14 and the third screw conveyor 16 in a required direction, and the ice pieces stored in the lower space 12 are dropped into the transfer space 44 and discharged. The ice pieces in 44 are transferred to the carry-out section 46.

The ice pieces transferred to the carry-out section 46 are transferred by the compressed air supplied from the fan blower 26 to the transfer pipe 50.
It is conveyed to the ice storage 54 via. The compressed air carrying the ice pieces returns to the fan blower 26 via the suction pipe 32, and is again supplied to the unloading section 46 via the blower pipe 28.
When the required amount of ice pieces are supplied to the ice storage 54 and the storage / conveyance device receives a conveyance stop signal, first, the second and third
A predetermined time after the screw conveyors 14 and 16 stop
(Time preset in the timer) Delayed fan blower 2
6 stops. This prevents the ice pieces from remaining in the carrier pipe 50.

As described above, the upper space 18 and the lower space 1
The communication port 39 that communicates with 2 is closed by a damper 40 that is urged by compressed air supplied from the fan blower 26. Therefore, the compressed air supplied from the fan blower 26 to the carry-out section 46 and flowing into the lower space 12 is reliably prevented from flowing into the ice making machine 8 side, and the pressure of the compressed air at the carry-out section 46 becomes constant. As a result, efficient transportation of ice pieces is achieved. As a result, even with a fan blower 26 with a small output, it is possible to efficiently convey ice pieces,
It is possible to prevent the ice pieces in the storage 10 from melting due to the heat generated by the blower 26. Further, since compressed air can be prevented from flowing into the ice making machine 8 side, there is no possibility that the atmospheric pressure on the ice making machine 8 side rises and hinders ice making. Moreover, since the cold compressed air carrying the ice pieces is reused for carrying the ice pieces, it is possible to suppress melting of the ice pieces stored in the lower space 12 or the ice pieces being conveyed, and to lose the ice pieces. Can be reduced. Note that the compressed air that has flowed into the lower space 12 from the carry-out section 46 and the compressed air that has leaked from the pressing means 33 raises the atmospheric pressure in the lower space 12, so that the damper 40 can also be brought into close contact with the communication port 39. .

Here, when the ice making by the ice making machine 8 is completed during the transportation of the ice pieces by the compressed air and the ice making operation is started,
The ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 are discharged into the upper space 18. However, the first screw conveyor 20 arranged in the upper space 18 is in operation during the operation of the fan blower 26.
Since the operation is set not to start in (the state before the storage and transportation device receives the transportation stop signal), the upper space 18
The ice pieces for one cycle are temporarily stored in. Then, when the fan blower 26 is stopped in response to the conveyance stop signal, the first screw conveyor 20 rotates and the ice pieces stored in the upper space 18 are discharged to the lower space 12 via the chute 38. At this time, since compressed air is not supplied from the fan blower 26 to the bottomed cylindrical body 34 of the pressing means 33, the damper 40 can be easily opened by the ice piece sliding down the chute 38, and the ice piece is lowered. Space 1
2 (see Fig. 7). When the ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 are discharged to the upper space 18 of the storage 10 while the ice pieces are not being conveyed, the motor 22 is activated and the first screw conveyor 20 causes the ice pieces to move. One piece is lower space 12
Is released to.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a case where the ice pieces stored in the upper space 18 are transferred by the first screw conveyor 20 and discharged to the lower space 12 when a carrier signal is received. In this case, first, after stopping the first screw conveyor 20, the required time (for example, 2 to
After 3 seconds, the fan blower 26 is activated with a delay. This is because when the fan blower 26 is started at the same time when the first screw conveyor 20 is stopped, the ice pieces remaining on the chute 38 are closed when the damper 40 is closed.
This is because there is a possibility that the compressed air will flow into the ice maker 8 side by being sandwiched between the communication port 39 and the damper 40. When the fan blower 26 is activated, the damper 40 communicates with the communication port 39.
Is in close contact with the lower space 12 by closing the communication port 39.
Keeps the airtightness of. Further, the motor 24 rotates the second and third screw conveyors 14 and 16, and the ice pieces stored in the lower space 12 are discharged into the transport space 44, and the ice pieces are transferred to the carry-out section 46. It Then, the ice pieces transferred to the carry-out section 46 are the fan blower 2
The compressed air supplied from 6 is supplied to the ice storage 54 via the carrier pipe 50.

When a required amount of ice pieces are supplied to the ice storage 54 and the storage / conveyance device receives a conveyance stop signal, first, the second
The third screw conveyors 14 and 16 are stopped, and the fan blower 26 is stopped after a predetermined time delay. Then
The first screw conveyor 20 rotates, and the release of the ice pieces stored in the upper space 18 to the lower space 12 is restarted.

[0024]

[Other Embodiment] FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the ice piece storage / conveyance apparatus, in which a blower pipe 28 for blowing the compressed air from the fan blower 26 to the carry-out section 46 is provided.
Part 2 between the branch point with the blower pipe 30 and the carry-out section 46
8a is provided with a solenoid valve 56. Further, the ice pieces produced by the ice making machine 8 are supplied to the supply pipe 58 extending into the storage 10.
It is designed to be released into the storage 10 by self-extruding action via. Then, the opening 5 of the supply pipe 58
8a is configured to be openably and closably closed by the pressing means 33 and the damper 40. Further, the ice pieces stored in the storage 10 are configured to be transferred to the carry-out section 46 formed in the storage 10 by the screw conveyor 51 arranged at the inner bottom portion. Reference numeral 57 indicates an ice storage amount detector that detects the amount of ice storage in the storage 10 and the ice storage 54.

The electromagnetic valve 56 is closed when the fan blower 26 is activated by the carrier signal from the ice storage 54, and all the compressed air generated in the blower 26 is sent to the pressing means 33 via the blower pipe 30. The compressed air is supplied and released with a delay for the required time, so that the compressed air is supplied to the pressing means 33 and the unloading section 4.
6 and 6 are set. That is, the opening 158a for communicating the inside of the storage 10 and the ice maker 8 is surely closed before the transportation of the ice pieces by the compressed air.
Maintains airtightness within 0. As a result, when the electromagnetic valve 56 is opened and compressed air is supplied to the carry-out section 46 to carry the ice pieces, the pressure at the carry-out section 46 becomes constant, and the ice pieces are efficiently carried. It In another embodiment shown in FIG. 10, when the storage / conveyance device receives the conveyance signal from the ice storage 54, the operation of the ice making machine 8 is stopped. Further, the opening 58a of the supply pipe 58 is formed so as to widen outward, so that the ice pieces moving by the self-extruding action are quickly dropped to prevent the ice pieces from being caught by the damper 40. Composed.

11 and 12 are schematic structural views showing still another embodiment. FIG. 11 shows one storage box 10.
A plurality of (two in the figure) ice makers 8A and 8B are installed in the storage compartment 10 and ice pieces are transported from the storage 10 to a plurality of destinations. That is, a switching valve 52 is arranged corresponding to each target point in the middle of the transfer pipe 50 extending from the carry-out section 46, and an ice piece is transferred to an arbitrary target point by the switching operation of each switch valve 52. be able to. The compressed air carrying the ice pieces is returned to the fan blower 26 via the suction pipe 32 and is used again as the compressed air for carrying. Further, FIG. 12 is configured such that a plurality of storages 10 equipped with the ice making machine 8 are arranged in parallel, and the respective carry-out parts 46 are connected in series by a carrier pipe 50. Then, the compressed air of the fan blower 26 arranged in the storage 10 located at the left end in the drawing conveys the ice pieces transferred to the respective carry-out parts 46 to the ice storage 54 via the transfer pipe 50. Has become. In addition, the compressed air that has carried the ice pieces to the ice storage 54 is
It is returned to the fan blower 26 via the suction pipe 32 and is used again as compressed air for transportation. The carrier pipe 5
When the outside air introduction pipe 81 is connected to the connection portion between 0 and the suction pipe 32 via the valve 80, and the compressed air circulating in the closed circuit causes a shortage, the valve 80 is opened to cover the shortage. It is configured to be able to suck air from the outside.

[0027]

[Regarding Modifications] FIG. 13 shows a predetermined number of ice cubes unloading device to which the basic structure of a storage constituting the ice piece storing and conveying device according to the embodiment is applied. The storage 60 in the device 59 for discharging a predetermined number of ice cubes is configured to store the ice cubes supplied from the ice machine mounted on the upper portion or an ice machine (not shown) separately installed in the space 61. . The ice cubes stored in the space 61 are discharged by the screw conveyor 62 into the transport space 70 defined below, and the ice cubes in the space 70 are transferred by the screw conveyor 63 to the unloading section 64. There is. In addition,
Internal dimensions of transfer space 70 and screw conveyor 63
The pitch of the blades at is set to transport ice cubes in a single file along the bottom of the space. In addition, an opening 64a is formed at the front end of the carry-out section 64 in the ice cube transfer direction by the screw conveyor 63, and the ice cubes transferred by the conveyor 63 are discharged to the outside from the opening 64a in a pressed state.

At the lower part of the carry-out section 64, a mounting member 82 for a cup 69 for receiving ice cubes discharged from the opening 64a.
And a contact rod 65 extending to the cup mounting side is disposed on the mounting member 82. This contact rod 65 is always on the front side (cup mounting side) by the spring 66.
When the contact rod 65 is moved to the rear side by the cup 69 against the elastic force of the spring 66, the start switch 68 of the motor 67 for rotating the screw conveyors 62, 63 is driven. Is configured to abut. That is, when the contact rod 65 is brought into contact with the start switch 68 via the cup 69, the screw conveyor 6
2, 63 rotate, and the ice cubes in the transport space 70 are transferred to the carry-out section 64 while being pressed, and the ice cubes are discharged from the opening 64a and received by the cup 69. When the required number of ice cubes are received by the cup 69, if the cup 69 is separated from the contact rod 65, the corresponding contact rod 65 is separated from the start switch 68 and the release of ice cubes is stopped. The start switch 6
If 8 is set so as to be automatically turned off after a required time from the time of contact with the contact rod 65, the same number of ice cubes can be always supplied.

Further, FIG. 14 shows a device 85 for discharging a predetermined number of ice cubes.
The screw conveyor 71 for transferring the ice cubes is arranged vertically, and the conveyor 71 is configured to face the vertical communication portion 83 formed in the lower portion of the storage 73. The internal dimensions of the communicating portion 83 and the pitch of the blades of the screw conveyor 71 are set so that ice cubes are transferred downward one by one, as shown in the figure. Further, an ice carry-out section 77 that is inclined at a required angle is formed at the lower end of the communication section 83, and the ice cubes transferred by the screw conveyor 71 slide off the ice carry-out section 77 and are discharged to the outside. A mounting member 82, an abutment rod 65, and a start switch 68 similar to those described in FIG. 13 are provided below the ice unloading unit 77. That is, when the contact rod 65 is brought into contact with the activation switch 68 via the cup 69, the screw conveyor 71 is rotated, and ice cubes are dropped one by one to the ice carry-out section 77, and the ice cubes are taken out of the ice carry-out section 77. It slips off and is received by the cup 69. A stirring rod 74 that appropriately stirs the ice cubes in the storage 73 is provided on the shaft of the screw conveyor 71 at a right angle to the shaft, and is stored on the inner wall surface of the storage 73 by the rotation of the screw conveyor 71. An ice rotation blocking plate 75 is provided to prevent the entire ice cube from rotating.

That is, since the operator does not manually handle the ice cubes in the predetermined number ice ice carry-out devices 59 and 85 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the ice cubes can be kept clean and hygienic. is there. It should be noted that by providing a means for supplying a beverage such as juice in the vicinity of the discharge portion of the ice cubes in the predetermined number of carry-out devices 59, 85, the beverage can be poured into the cup together with the ice cubes. Further, it is not limited to supplying ice cubes to a cup, but can be used for bagging.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the ice pieces are not limited to being supplied from an ice-making machine placed above the storage to the storage, and ice pieces manufactured at another location can be stored in the storage. It may be one that is transported and stored.

[0032]

As described above, according to the ice piece storage / conveyance apparatus of the present invention, a part of the compressed air supplied from the blower is provided by providing the opening / closing member at the opening provided in the storage. Since the opening portion can be surely closed by being urged by the pressing means moved by, the inside of the storage can be kept airtight, and the pressure at the unloading portion can be kept constant. That is, it is possible to achieve efficient transportation of ice pieces. Further, in the case of a structure in which the storage and the ice making machine are communicated with each other, it is possible to prevent compressed air from flowing from the storage to the ice making machine side and increasing the atmospheric pressure in the ice making machine, so that stable operation of the ice making machine is achieved. To be done. Furthermore, after the ice pieces are conveyed by the compressed air supplied from the blower, the compressed air is collected and reused in the blower, so the compressed air is always cool,
There is an advantage that the melting of ice pieces during transportation and the melting of ice pieces due to the temperature rise in the storage can be suppressed, and the loss of ice pieces can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ice piece storage / conveyance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a longitudinal section of a main part of the storage and transportation device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing a longitudinal section of a main part of the storage and transportation device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the carry-out section from the front.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the carry-out section from the side surface.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a damper arranged in a communication port between an upper space and a lower space is biased by a bottomed cylindrical body that is pressed forward by compressed air.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a state in which a damper arranged at a communication port between an upper space and a lower space opens a cylinder with a bottom while pressing the cylinder.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a case where the storage and conveyance device is operated during the ice making operation of the ice making machine.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart diagram when the ice making machine operates the storage / conveyance device during the deicing operation.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of an ice piece storage / conveyance device.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing still another embodiment of an ice piece storage / conveyance device.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram showing yet another embodiment of an ice piece storage / conveyance device.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a modified example using the structure of the storage in the ice piece storage / conveyance device.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing another modification utilizing the structure of the storage in the ice piece storage / conveyance device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 storage, 26 fan blower, 30 blower pipe, 3
2 suction pipe 33 pressing means, 39 communication port, 40 damper, 46
Unloading part 50 Conveyor pipe, 54 Ice storage

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An air blower connected to the carry-out section (46) communicating with the store (10) with ice pieces of a required shape stored in the store (10) and connected to the carry-out section (46). In the storage and transportation device configured to transport the ice pieces by the compressed air supplied from 26), the opening portion (39) provided in the storage (10) and provided in the storage (10) can be opened and closed freely. An opening / closing member (40) and a blower pipe (30) branched from the blower device (26) are connected to each other, and the opening / closing member (40) is provided with a pressing means (33) that can be moved in and out of contact with each other, The pressing means (33) is brought into contact with the opening / closing member (40) by compressed air supplied from the blower device (26) through the blower pipe (30), and the opening portion (40) is opened by the opening / closing member (40). A device for storing and transporting ice pieces, characterized in that it is configured to close 39). 2. An air blower connected to the carrying-out section (46) communicating with the storage (10) with the ice pieces having a required shape stored in the storage (10) and connected to the carrying-out section (46). In a storage and transportation device configured to transport the ice pieces by compressed air supplied from 26), a transport pipe (50) that communicates the carry-out section (46) and a transport target point (54) of the ice pieces, The suction pipe (32) of the blower device (26) is connected and connected, and the compressed air that has carried the ice pieces from the carry-out part (46) to the carrying point (54) is recovered by the blower device (26). A device for storing and transporting ice pieces, which is configured to be used again as compressed air for transport.