JPH10170115A - Auger type ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an auger type ice making machine, melting ice optimally in the ice compressing passage surface of a pushing head without employing any electric heater and preventing the generation of air biting as well as problems due to the air biting. SOLUTION: A pushing head 50 is connected to the upper part of a refrigerating casing 21 by clamping a flange 51b, formed at the lower part of the same, and a flange 21a through bolts 52. A heater inserting hole 55 is bored on the side part of the pushing head and the heat dissipating unit 71 of a heat pipe 70 is inserted thereinto. The heat receiving unit 72 of the heat pipe 70 is attached to the high-temperature unit 31 of a refrigerating circuit through a pipe holder 80 so as to be capable of effecting heat exchange. According to this method, ice in an ice compressing passage is molten by the heat of the high-temperature unit upon making ice while the ice in the ice compressing passage is molten by the high-temperature unit and the remaining heat of the pipe holder when a compressor, not shown in a diagram, is stopped. Accordingly, there is no fear of leakage of electric current and the generation of air biting can be prevented without spending any charge for electric power.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auger-type ice making machine, and more particularly to a technique for slightly melting ice on an ice compression passage surface of a pressing head for compressing sherbet-like ice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ice passing through an ice compressing passage formed in a pressing head of an auger-type ice making machine has an advantage that it is compressed to ice having a hardness suitable for a product. There is a possibility that the hardness is increased and it is difficult to pass through the ice compression passage, causing abnormal noise, or icing or sticking to the surface forming the ice compression passage. As described above, if the ice conveyance is interrupted or the ice sticks to the surface of the ice compression passage, the ice compression passage is blocked by the ice, and the sherbet-like ice that has been continuously conveyed by the rotation of the auger is removed. As a result, the compression is further progressed in the ice compression passage by losing the place to go. As a result, the ice compression passage is covered with ice, and when fresh ice making water is supplied into the freezing casing, air in the freezing casing does not escape (hereinafter, this phenomenon is referred to as "air biting"). In addition, the ice making water is not supplied sufficiently. Insufficient supply of ice making water due to such air biting causes a supercooling state due to a decrease in the cooling load in the refrigeration casing and a relative increase in refrigeration capacity. Therefore, when scraping the frozen ice, an overload acts on the spiral blade and its driving system, which may lead to a stop of the driving motor or a cause of failure.

As a prior art for solving this problem, there is an auger type ice maker disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 62-6453, for example. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upper part of the freezing casing and the vicinity of the pressing head of the auger type ice making machine disclosed in the publication. A cooling pipe 130 is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical freezing casing 121. Frozen casing 12
A screw (an auger in this application) 140 having a screw blade 144 is provided inside 1. The upper part of the screw 140 is rotatably supported by a pressing head 150 also serving as a bearing. The pressing head 150 is inserted into the upper part of the freezing casing 121 and the freezing casing 1
It is fixed from the side by a fixing bolt 152 penetrating through 21. The pressing head 150 is provided with a heater 170 so as to surround the upper portion of the outer periphery thereof. The heater 170 is always energized and heated during the ice making operation to increase the temperature of the upper outer portion of the pressing head 150.

In such an auger type ice making machine, when ice making is started, sherbet-like ice grown on the inner surface of the freezing casing 121 and scraped off by the screw blade 144 is sent to the ice compression passage of the pressing head 150 and compressed. It becomes rod-shaped ice, cut by the cutter 162, and the ice release cover 1
Carried through 60. At this time, the load on the geared motor and the bearings on the pressing head 150 during ice compression can be reduced by softening and melting the ice surface in the ice compression passage by the heater 170 wound around the pressing head 150. It was possible.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional auger-type ice making machine, a cord heater is used and heating is performed by an electric current. Therefore, a device for preventing or detecting electric leakage is separately provided. Must be provided. Also, in addition to the original electricity bill for geared motors, etc., a separate electricity bill is required to energize and heat the heater.
The overall electricity bill increases accordingly. Accordingly, the present invention is to solve such a problem of the prior art, and preferably melts ice on an ice compression passage surface of a pressing head without using an electric heater, thereby forming an air bite. It is an object of the present invention to provide an auger-type ice maker that prevents the occurrence and problems caused by the occurrence.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, an auger-type ice making machine according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an auger having a spiral blade formed on an outer periphery thereof and the auger rotatably housed therein. A freezing casing, a pressing head provided at an upper portion of the freezing casing and having an ice compression passage for compressing ice pushed up by rotation of the auger to predetermined ice quality, and an evaporator wound around the freezing casing. And a refrigeration circuit as one of the components, and a heat radiating side of a heat pipe is attached to the pressing head. The heat receiving side of the heat pipe is attached to a high temperature part of the refrigeration circuit. Further, in the auger-type ice making machine according to the third aspect, the heat receiving side is heat-exchangeably attached to the high-temperature portion via a pipe holder made of a material having a large heat capacity. In the auger-type ice making machine according to claim 4, the heat radiation side of the heat pipe is attached by drilling a heater insertion hole in the pressing head and inserting an end of the heat pipe into the heater insertion hole. . Further, in the auger type ice making machine according to claim 5, the connection between the freezing casing and the pressing head is performed by bolting a flange formed on the freezing casing and a flange formed on the pressing head. It is carried out by mutually fastening.

[0007] In the auger-type ice making machine according to claim 1, heat is transmitted to the pressing head via a heat pipe to melt the ice in the ice compression passage. For this reason, unlike the case where an electric heater is used, there is no need for a separate electricity bill, and no device for electric leakage is required. In the auger type ice making machine according to claim 2, the heat in the high temperature section of the refrigeration circuit during the ice making operation, and the remaining heat in the high temperature section during the re-water supply and the washing after draining the ice making water, Since the pressure is transmitted to the pressing head via the heat pipe, a dedicated heat source is not required. In the auger-type ice making machine according to the third aspect, since the pipe holder is made of a material having a large heat capacity, the residual heat of the pipe holder is transmitted to the pressing head by the heat pipe even when the compressor is stopped. In the auger-type ice making machine according to the fourth aspect, the heat of the high temperature portion is transmitted to the inside of the pressing head via the heat pipe. For this reason, compared with the case where heat is applied from the outer periphery of the pressing head, the ice in the ice compression passage is melted more efficiently. In the auger-type ice making machine according to the fifth aspect, heat is transmitted to the pressing head via the heat pipe, but the heat is hardly transmitted to the freezing casing. Is less.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the auger type ice making machine shown in FIG. 1, an ice making mechanism unit 20, an auger 40, a pressing head 50, a guide cylinder 60 and the like are assembled on a drive mechanism unit 10. In the drive mechanism 10, a reduction gear is housed in a housing 11, and the rotation of the drive motor 12 is reduced by the reduction gear and transmitted to the drive shaft 13. The small-diameter shaft portion 43 of the auger 40 has an inner diameter spline, and is connected to the drive shaft 13.

The ice making mechanism 20 includes a vertical, hollow cylindrical stainless steel freezing casing 21 mounted on the housing 11 coaxially with the drive shaft 13, and a freezing casing 21.
The evaporator 30 includes an evaporator 30 disposed on the outer periphery of the evaporator 30, and a heat insulating material 22 coated on the outer periphery of the evaporator 30. Evaporator 30
Constitutes a conventional refrigeration circuit together with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and the like (not shown). An auger 40 is provided inside the freezing casing 21. Auger 40
A large-diameter shaft portion 41 and small-diameter shaft portions 42 and 43 formed on both upper and lower ends thereof are formed. A helical spiral blade 44 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the large-diameter shaft portion 41. The upper small-diameter shaft portion 42 is rotatably supported by a bearing 54 fitted and fixed in a hole in the shaft center portion of the pressing head 50.

The pressing head 50 is disposed above the auger 40 and freezes on the inner wall of the freezing casing 21 to freeze the auger 40.
It compresses and solidifies the ice that has been scraped off and carried out. A flange 51b is formed at a lower portion of the pressing head 50, and a flange 21a is formed at an upper portion of the freezing casing 21. The pressing head 50 and the freezing casing 21 are joined to each other by fastening the flanges 51b and 21a with bolts 52. Inside the pressing head 50, an ice compression passage 5 for compressing and solidifying ice is provided.
3 (shown by broken lines in FIG. 1). Also,
The bearing 54 described above is press-fitted and fixed in a hole in the shaft center of the pressing head 50. A heater insertion hole 55 extending in the lateral direction toward the axis is formed in a lateral outer surface of the pressing head 50, and a heat pipe 70 is inserted into the heater insertion hole 55. The structure relating to the heater insertion hole 55 and the heat pipe 70 will be described later in more detail.

The guide cylinder 60 guides the compressed solidified ice discharged from the pressing head 50 to be conveyed to an ice storage (not shown). The guide cylinder 60 has an L-shaped discharge passage 61. The lower end is fitted and fixed to the upper end of the pressing head 50. A pressing head 50 is provided inside the entrance of the discharge passage 61.
A cutter 62 is attached to the upper end surface of the small-diameter shaft portion above the auger 40 for breaking the compressed solidified ice released as a rod from the auger 40 and installed so as to rotate integrally with the auger 40. Have been.

Next, the pressing head 50 of the auger-type ice making machine formed as described above and the heat pipe 7 inserted therein
0 will be described. 2 is a perspective view of the pressing head 50, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pressing head 50, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing by the V-IV line. The pressing head 50 includes a cylindrical portion 51a that is a main body of the pressing head, and a flange 51b that extends radially outward substantially below the cylindrical portion 51a.
The flange 51b has a bolt hole 56 through which the above-described bolt 52 passes. The pressing head 50 is fastened to the flange 21a of the freezing casing 21 at the flange 51b (see FIG. 1).
Can be tightened and loosened from above, thereby improving workability. A hole 57 is provided in the axial center of the cylindrical portion 51a, and the bearing 54 is fitted and fixed in the hole 57 as described above.

An ice compression passage 53 extending in the axial direction is formed in the cylindrical portion 51a, and eight ice compression passages 53 are provided side by side on a circumference having the same radius. Here, in the auger type ice making machine of FIG. 6 taken as a conventional technique, a bolt (reference numeral 152 in FIG. 6) for fastening the freezing casing and the pressing head is loosened by the stress generated at the time of compression in the ice compression passage. There was a possibility that a crack would occur in the bolt through hole of the freezing casing, but in the present embodiment,
Since the ice compression passage 53 is formed only by the pressing head 50 and the pressing head 50 and the freezing casing 21 are fastened at the flanges 51b and 21a, such a phenomenon in the related art does not occur.

Blade portions 58a and 58b are formed between adjacent ice compression passages 53, and the ice compression passages 53 are separated from each other by the blade portions 58a and 58b. The blade portions 58a and 58b are used to push the sherbet-like ice pushed up from below by the spiral blade 44,
Ice compression passages 5 divided on the left and right sides and formed on both sides
3 to send. There are two types of widths of the blade portions 58a and 58b. Here, the thicker blade is defined as the thick blade portion 58a, and the thinner blade is defined as the thin blade portion 58a.
b, four thick blade portions 58a and four thin blade portions 58b are formed. In addition, there is no thick blade portion 58a on both sides of one ice compression passage 53, or no thin blade portion 58b on both sides, and as shown in FIG. Are formed alternately. Therefore, the ice compression passages 53 are formed not at equal intervals on the circumference but at two intervals.

A heater insertion hole 55 is provided on a side surface of the cylindrical portion 51a.
Are drilled. 3 and 4, the heater insertion hole 55 is provided in the thick blade portion 58a, and extends toward the axis of the cylindrical portion 51a inside the thick blade portion 58a. The depth of the heater insertion hole 55 is substantially the same as the length A from the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 51a to the ice compression passage forming surface 53a farthest away.

Each of the heater insertion holes 55 has a heat pipe 7
The heat radiating portion 71 of No. 0 is inserted. Since the heat pipe set need only be inserted into the pressing head, workability is very good as compared with the case where the heat pipe is wound. The heat pipe 70 is a hollow member, in which a refrigerant is filled. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the heat receiving section 72 of the heat pipe 70 is attached to the high-temperature section 31 of the refrigeration circuit via a pipe holder 80 so that heat can be exchanged. As shown in FIG. 5, the pipe holder 80
Two grooves 81 having a semicircular cross section are formed on the lower surface of the upper half part, and two similar grooves 81 are formed on the upper surface of the lower half part. Therefore, when the upper half portion and the lower half portion are correctly fitted, two through holes are formed, and the heat receiving portion 72 and the high temperature portion 31 are arranged in the holes. In both the upper half and the lower half, a screw hole 82 is formed between the two grooves 81, and the upper half and the lower half are joined by screws 83. . Also, as the high temperature portion of the refrigeration circuit, a pipe through which a high temperature refrigerant passes is shown as an example, but in addition, any portion having a high temperature may be used, and a compressor having a large heat capacity,
A receiver or a dryer is suitable.

Next, the operation of the above-described auger type ice making machine will be described. When the ice making operation starts, the freezing casing 2
The ice making water is supplied into 1 from a water supply system (not shown). The ice making water in the freezing casing 21 is deprived of heat by the evaporator 30 wound around the outer periphery and gradually freezes on the inner surface of the freezing casing 21. And the frozen casing 2
The ice frozen on the inner surface of the auger 1 is scraped from the inner surface by the spiral blade 44 of the auger 40 rotated by the geared motor 12, and is sent upward as sherbet-like ice. When the sherbet-like ice rising in the freezing casing 21 reaches the lower end of the pressing head 50, the blade 58
a and 58b into ice compression passages 53 on both sides. Then, the sherbet-shaped ice is compressed to ice having a predetermined hardness when passing through the ice compression passage 53.
The ice compressed in this way is pushed by the ice entering the ice compression passage 53 and moves upward of the ice compression passage 53. Since the cutter 62 is provided above the ice compression passage 53, the ice compressed through the ice compression passage 53 is cut into a desired size by the cutter 62. The ice cut to an appropriate size is guided through a discharge passage 61 to an ice storage (not shown).

During the ice making operation, the refrigerant charged in the heat pipe 70 receives heat from the high temperature section 31 in the heat receiving section 72, and the refrigerant in the ice compression passage 53 in the heat radiating section 71 inserted in the cylindrical section 51a. Apply heat. As a result, the contact portion of the ice that comes into contact with the formation surface of the ice compression passage 53 is slightly melted, and generation of abnormal noise when passing through the ice compression passage 53 and during compression is prevented. Here, since the heat of the heat receiving portion 72 is transmitted from the inside of each thick blade portion 58a, the ice in the ice compression passage 53 is efficiently melted with a small amount of heat as compared with the case where the pressing head 50 is warmed from the outer surface. It is possible. Further, it is not preferable that the heat is transmitted to the freezing casing 21 during the ice making operation, in terms of the efficiency of the ice making. However, in the present auger type ice making machine, as described above, the pressing head 50 and the freezing casing 21 are connected to the flange 51b, Since it is joined at 21a, even if the pressing head is warmed in the freezing casing as in the related art, even if the pressing head is warmed, the ice making is not affected.

Also, when the ice making water in the freezing casing 21 is once drained and the ice making water is supplied again or when the ice making water is washed again, the residual heat of the high temperature section 31 and the pipe holder 80 is transmitted through the heat pipe 70. Therefore, the ice on both sides of the thick blade portion 58a slightly melts. Thereby, when the ice making water is supplied again, the frozen casing 21
The existing air inside is discharged to the discharge passage 61 from the melted portions of the ice on both sides of the thick blade portion 58a as the ice making water is supplied. Therefore, the ice making water is supplied without air biting.

As the heat source of the heat pipe 70, the heat generated in the refrigeration cycle and its residual heat are used, so that the energy can be efficiently used without a special electricity bill.
Also, there is no risk of electric leakage. For example, even when a compressor (not shown) is stopped, such as at the time of washing,
It is preferably made of a material having a large heat capacity so that the residual heat can sufficiently melt the ice in the ice compression passage 53.

The invention described in the above embodiment can be modified and embodied as follows. (1) When mounting the heat pipe 70, the heater insertion hole 55 was opened and inserted there, but instead of this, the heater insertion hole 55 was not opened, and the cylindrical portion 5 of the pressing head 50 was not opened.
You may make it wind around the outer periphery of 1a. (2) The heat receiving section 72 of the heat pipe 70 is attached to the high temperature section 31 (including the compressor, the liquid receiver, the dryer, etc.) of the refrigeration circuit. By doing so, not only can the ice be melted by using the heat generated by the drive motor 12, but also the drive motor 12 can be cooled at the same time, and a more desirable effect can be obtained. (3) The heat receiving portion 72 of the heat pipe 70 does not have to be selectively attached to one of the portions described in the above-described embodiment and the modified examples (1) and (2), and may be attached to a plurality of heat sources. It is possible. (4) Ice compression passage 53, blade portions 58a, 58b,
The numbers of the heater insertion holes 55, the heat pipes 70, and the pipe holders 80 are not limited to those in the above embodiment, but can be changed as needed. Further, the heater insertion hole 55 need not be provided in all the thick blade portions 58a. (5) The heat pipe 70 is a hollow member in which the refrigerant is filled, but instead may be a solid member made of a material having good thermal conductivity.

[0022]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat transmitted through the heat pipe is used to melt the ice in the ice compression passage of the pressing head without using an electric heater, so that a special cost such as an electricity bill is required. There is no risk of electric leakage. According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the heat generated in the refrigeration cycle and its residual heat are used, the heat energy can be efficiently used, and a dedicated heat source is not required. According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the pipe holder is made of a material having a large heat capacity, even if the compressor is stopped, the ice in the ice compression passage can be sufficiently melted by the residual heat of the pipe holder. According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, since the heat radiation side of the heat pipe is inserted into the heater insertion hole formed in the pressing head, the inside of the pressing head is compared with the case where heat is applied from the outer periphery of the pressing head. The heat is also suitably transmitted. Also,
The workability at the time of mounting is improved because only insertion is required. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the pressing head and the freezing casing are connected by the flange, it is difficult for the heat of the pressing head to be transmitted to the freezing casing, and the influence of the heat pipe on ice making is small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an auger type ice making machine according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pressing head.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a pressing head.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the pressing head taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a heat pipe, a high temperature section, and a pipe holder.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of a main part of a conventional auger type ice making machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

21: freezing casing, 21a: flange, 30: evaporator, 31: high temperature part, 40: auger, 44: spiral blade, 50
... Pressing head, 51b ... Flange, 52 ... Bolt, 53 ... Ice compression passage, 55 ... Heater insertion hole, 70 ... Heat pipe,
71: heat dissipating part (heat dissipating side), 72: heat receiving part (heat receiving side), 8
0: Pipe holder.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An auger having a spiral blade formed on an outer periphery thereof, a freezing casing in which the auger is rotatably housed, and ice provided on an upper portion of the freezing casing and pushed up by rotation of the auger. An auger-type ice making machine including a pressing head having an ice compression passage for compressing to the ice quality, and a refrigeration circuit having an evaporator wound as one of the constituent elements wound around the refrigeration casing. An auger-type ice machine characterized by having a heat-dissipating side attached. 2. The auger-type ice maker according to claim 1, wherein a heat receiving side of the heat pipe is attached to a high temperature part of the refrigeration circuit. 3. The auger-type ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein the heat receiving side is heat-exchangeably attached to the high-temperature portion via a pipe holder made of a material having a large heat capacity. 4. The heat pipe according to claim 1, wherein the heat radiation side of the heat pipe is mounted by making a heater insertion hole in the pressing head and inserting an end of the heat pipe into the heater insertion hole. The auger ice maker according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The connection between the freezing casing and the pressing head is performed by fastening a flange formed on the freezing casing and a flange formed on the pressing head to each other with bolts. An auger-type ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: