JPH11351717A - Ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure the quantity of stored ice in an ice storage enough by an ice guide, and prevent the working of an ice storage detector from being hindered. SOLUTION: In an ice machine which is equipped with an ice making mechanism part A and an ice storage B so that, from the ice making mechanism part A, ice D may fall and be supplied from one side of the top of the ice machine body 20 to the other end of the ice storage B, an L-shaped ice guide C, which has the first induction part C1 extending by a specified quantity toward one side along the rear wall 21a of the ice machine body 20, receiving the ice D being let fall and supplied from the back section of the ice making mechanism part A, and inducing it toward the section on one side of the ice storage B, and also has the second induction part C2 extending by a specified quantity frontward along the side wall 21b of the ice machine body 20, receiving a part of the ice D being let fall and supplied from the middle section and the front section of the ice machine A, and inducing it toward the center of the ice storage B, is made at the back corner in the middle section on the other side of the ice machine body 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice machine having an ice guide for receiving ice dropped and supplied from an ice making mechanism for automatically forming ice of a predetermined shape and guiding the ice toward a predetermined portion of an ice storage. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ice maker provided with an ice guide is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-243222, and has an ice maker mechanism for automatically forming ice of a predetermined shape on one upper side of an ice maker body. In addition, an ice storage is provided below the ice making mechanism, and ice is dropped and supplied from one side of an upper part of the ice making machine body toward the other side of the ice storage from the ice making mechanism, An ice guide for dispersing and dropping the ice dropped and supplied from the ice making mechanism to the ice storage is provided between the ice making mechanism and the ice storage.

[0003]

The ice guide of the ice maker disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-243222 is provided by extending a predetermined amount in the vertical direction on the other upper side of the ice maker main body. The ice making machine includes a first guide portion that receives ice dropped and supplied from an intermediate portion of the mechanism portion and guides the ice toward a central portion of the ice storage, and is integrally formed at a lower end of the first guide portion. It is a J-shaped one having a second guiding portion for guiding ice curved toward the rear wall of the main body and dropped and guided along the first guiding portion so as to be dispersed and dropped on the entire lower portion of the ice making mechanism portion.

[0004] For this reason, in the case where a suspended ice storage detecting device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-39581 is provided corresponding to such an ice guide, ice is sequentially stored in an ice storage. As a result, ice that is normally guided by the ice guide and slides down may accumulate on the ice guide and hinder the rotation of the detection lever of the ice storage detection device in a predetermined direction, and the ice storage detection device may not operate normally. is there. If the ice storage detection device does not operate normally, ice storage in the ice making mechanism is not interrupted because ice storage is not completed, and ice may bite into the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine. May be overloaded.

Further, since the above-mentioned ice guide extends from the other upper side of the ice making machine main body to the center of the ice storage,
The ice guide is in the way when removing ice from the ice storage. In addition, since the above-mentioned ice guide is formed separately from the ice making machine main body and is assembled to the ice making machine main body, the cost is also increased.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to address the above-described problems, and has an ice making mechanism for automatically forming ice of a predetermined shape on one side of an upper portion of an ice making machine main body. An ice maker provided with an ice storage below the ice making mechanism, wherein ice is dropped and supplied from one side of an upper part of the ice making machine main body toward the other side of the ice storage from the ice making mechanism. At the inner corner at the other intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body, a predetermined amount is extended toward one side along the rear wall of the ice making machine main body to receive ice dropped and supplied from the back side portion of the ice making mechanism. A first guiding portion for guiding toward one side portion of the ice storage, and extending forward by a predetermined amount along a side wall of the ice making machine main body to drop from an intermediate portion and a front portion of the ice making mechanism portion. Receives part of the supplied ice and It is characterized in that integrally formed L-shaped ice guide having a second guide portion to guide toward the central portion.

[0007]

In the ice making machine according to the present invention,
The first guide portion of the ice guide receives ice dropped and supplied from the deep portion of the ice making mechanism toward the other side of the ice storage, and guides the ice toward one portion of the ice storage, that is, a portion below the ice making mechanism. The second guide portion of the ice guide receives a part of the ice dropped and supplied from the middle portion and the front portion of the ice making mechanism portion toward the other side of the ice storage, and moves to the center of the ice storage. Since the ice can be guided toward the ice storage, the ice dropped and supplied from the ice making mechanism to the ice storage can be dispersed and dropped over the entire ice storage, and the amount of ice stored in the ice storage can be sufficiently ensured.

In the present invention, since the ice guide is formed in an L-shape at the rear corner at the other intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body, it is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-39581. When such an ice storage detecting device is provided, the position where the ice guide and the ice storage detecting device are disposed does not come close to each other, and even if the ice accumulates on the ice guide, the detection lever of the ice storage detecting device is set to the ice on the ice guide. Accordingly, the rotation in the predetermined direction is not hindered, and the ice storage detecting device operates normally. Further, in the present invention, since an L-shaped ice guide is integrally formed at the rear corner at the other intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body, the ice guide is hardly obstructed when taking out ice, and the ice guide is separately provided. The cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the body is used.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 show a closed-cell type ice maker. The ice maker has a well-known ice making mechanism A and an ice storage B, and has an ice guide C and a suspension between the ice making mechanism A and the ice storage B. Bottom type ice storage detection device 50
It has. The ice making mechanism A is for automatically producing a large number of ices (a large number of ice cubes) D having a predetermined shape in one cycle (including an ice making operation and a deicing operation). It comprises a water tray 13, a water tank 14, a circulation pump motor 15, a drain tray 16, and the like. In addition,
The ice making mechanism A and the ice storage B are provided with a front upper panel (not shown) detachably attached to the upper front of the ice making machine main body 20 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape.
Is housed in a space formed in the ice making machine main body 20 by a door 30 rotatably mounted on the front surface of the ice storage B.
A well-known refrigerating device 40 is accommodated in a space formed in the ice making machine main body 20 by a front lower panel (not shown) detachably attached to a lower portion of the front surface of the ice making machine main body 20 below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ice maker 11 is arranged and fixed substantially horizontally above the inside of the ice maker body 20 via a mounting plate 61, and is constituted by an upper plate, side plates, and a partition plate. A plurality of rectangular cells (also referred to as ice making chambers) S that open downward are formed. Ice maker 1
A cooler (evaporator) 12 connected to a refrigerating device 40 provided below the ice storage B is closely arranged in a meandering manner on the back surface (upper surface) of the storage device 1. The ice making water that is cooled and injected and supplied by a mechanism described later can be frozen in each cell S.

The water tray 13 is disposed directly below the ice maker 11 and is mounted on a mounting plate 61 via a pivot 62 so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction. During operation, each cell S is closed as shown in FIG. 1, and during deicing operation, each cell S is tilted downward as shown in FIG. 2 to open each cell S. Also,
The water tray 13 is provided with a plurality of injection holes and return holes (both not shown) corresponding to each cell S, and a water passage (not shown) for guiding ice making water to each injection hole. The non-freezing water not frozen in each cell S returns to the water tank 14 through the return hole of the water tray 13.

The water tank 14 is integrally mounted below the water tray 13 so as to tilt and return integrally with the water tray 13.
A required amount of ice making water supplied every cycle is supplied from a water supply pipe 18 disposed above the water supply pipe 18, and the remaining water inside is drained to a drain tray 16 when it is in a tilted position. . The circulation pump motor 15 is
The water for ice making in 4 is supplied under pressure to each cell S through the water channel and the injection hole of the water tray 13, and is attached to the bottom of one side of the water tank 14. The drain tray 16 is used for the water tank 1.
4 is disposed below and receives the waste water discharged from the water tank 14 and discharges it to the outside through a drain pipe 19 connected to the bottom.

An ice guide C is provided between the ice making mechanism A and the ice storage B to receive a large number of ice cubes D dropped and supplied from the ice making mechanism A to the ice storage B every cycle. The ice making machine 20 is dispersed and dropped into an ice storage B provided below the section A, and is integrally formed at a rear corner at the right intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body 20 and has a heat insulating structure. Are molded integrally and inwardly when the resin inner box 21 is formed. The inner box 21
The molding die (the front mold and the rear mold, not shown) is pulled out in the front-rear direction at the time of molding, and the shape of the ice guide C is formed in accordance with the drawing direction.

The ice guide C is provided on the rear wall 2 of the inner box 21.
1a, is inclined downward toward the left side, extends a predetermined amount, and extends to the back side of the ice making mechanism A (the back side 2 of the ice making device 11 shown in FIG. 3).
Ice cube D which is supplied from the row) to the right side of the ice storage B
And the ice making mechanism A on the left side of the ice storage B
A first guiding portion C1 (the upper surface is inclined downward toward the bulging tip) for guiding toward a lower portion of
An intermediate portion and a front portion of the ice making mechanism portion A extending substantially horizontally forward by a predetermined amount along the right side wall 21b of the inner box 21 (a portion of the ice making device 11 excluding the two back rows shown in FIG. 3). The second guiding portion C2 (which receives a part of the ice cube D supplied and dropped toward the right side of the ice storage B from above and guides the ice cube D toward the center of the ice storage B (the upper surface is inclined downward toward the bulging tip). ), And is formed in a substantially L shape in plan view. In addition,
The rest of the ice cubes D supplied from the middle part and the front part of the ice making mechanism A falls directly to the right part of the ice storage B.

The ice storage detecting device 50 detects that a predetermined amount of ice cubes D has been stored in the ice storage B (ice storage completed), and is disposed on the right side of the ice making mechanism A and has a mounting plate. 6
An ice storage detection lever (detection rod) 51 that vertically hangs down from 1 and can be tilted rightward in FIG. 2, and is pushed through an actuator (not shown) by a predetermined amount of tilting of the lever 51 rightward in FIG. 2. The micro switch 52 is provided. The ice storage detecting device 50 detects that a predetermined amount of ice cubes D has been stored in the ice storage B based on the state in which the microswitch 52 is continuously pressed for a predetermined time. The ice making in the ice making mechanism A is interrupted on the basis of this.

In this embodiment constructed as described above, during a known ice making operation, the water supply pipe 18 is connected to the water tank 14.
A required amount of ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making device 11 which is supplied from the circulation pump motor 15 through the water channel of the water tray 13 and each injection hole into each cell S, and cooled by the cooler 12. Freeze sequentially at. Unfreezed water that has not been frozen is mainly collected in the water tank 14 through each return hole of the water tray 13 and recirculated by the circulation pump motor 15.

When freezing progresses and a predetermined ice cube is formed in each cell S, a sensor (not shown) detects the ice cube and outputs an ice making completion signal to terminate the ice making operation. Next, a known deicing operation is started, and hot gas is supplied to the cooler 12 by the operation of the switching valve of the refrigerating device 40 to heat the ice maker 11, so that ice formed between the ice maker 11 and ice cubes is melted. Then, at a required timing, the water tray 13 is
, And each cell S is opened. Therefore, the ice cube D in each cell S falls under its own weight and falls in the water dish 1.
3 slides down diagonally downward, a part slides down on the ice guide C and falls from the ice guide C to the ice storage B, and the rest falls directly from the water tray 13 to the ice storage B, and the ice storage B Is dispersed and stored. On the other hand, the residual water in the water tank 14 flows to the drain tray 16 and is guided from the drain tray 16 to the drain channel through the drain pipe 19. A large number of ice cubes D, which slide down the water tray 13 and are supplied to the ice guide C, are connected to each other at the lower end on the water tray 13 and may be integrated. By colliding with C, it is divided into ice cubes D.

In the present embodiment, the ice guide C has a first guiding portion C1 and a second guiding portion C2, and is formed in a substantially L shape in plan view. Receiving ice cubes D that are supplied by being dropped toward the right side of the ice storage B from the rear side of the ice making mechanism A (the two rows of the ice making device 11 shown in FIG. 3), the left side of the ice storage B, that is, ice making. It can be guided toward the lower part of the mechanism A, and the second
The ice cube D which is supplied from the middle part and the front part of the ice making mechanism part A (the part excluding the two rear rows shown in FIG. 3 of the ice making device 11) toward the right side of the ice storage B at the guiding part C2. Can be guided toward the center of the ice storage B, so that the rest of the ice cubes D supplied from the middle part and the front part of the ice making mechanism part A fall to the right part of the ice storage B. In addition to the direct drop, the ice storage unit A
Can be dispersed and dropped over the entirety of the ice storage B, and the ice storage amount in the ice storage B (the ice storage amount at which the ice storage detection device 50 detects the completion of the ice storage) can be sufficiently ensured. be able to.

In this embodiment, since the ice guide C is formed in an L-shape at the far corner at the right intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body 20, the ice guide C and the ice storage detecting device 50 are provided. The position does not approach, and even if the ice D accumulates on the ice guide C, the lever 51 in the ice storage detecting device 50 is not hindered from rotating in the predetermined direction by the ice D on the ice guide C, Ice storage detection device 50
Works normally. Further, in the present embodiment, since the L-shaped ice guide C is integrally formed at the rear corner at the right intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body 20, the ice guide C is less likely to hinder the removal of the ice cube D, In addition, the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the ice guide C is formed separately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an ice making machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view of a main part of the ice making machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of a main part of the ice making machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

11 ... ice machine, 12 ... cooler, 13 ... water tray, 14 ... water tank, 15 ... circulation pump motor, 16 ... drain tray, 20
... Ice making machine body, 21 ... Inner box, 21a ... Rear wall, 21b ... Right side wall, 50 ... Ice storage detector, 51 ... Detection lever, 52 ...
Micro switch, A: ice making mechanism, B: ice storage, C ...
Ice guide, C1: first guiding section, C2: second guiding section,
D: Ice cube.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ice making mechanism for automatically forming ice of a predetermined shape is provided on one side of an upper part of an ice making machine main body, an ice storage is provided below the ice making mechanism, and the ice making machine is provided from the ice making mechanism. In an ice making machine in which ice is dropped and supplied from one upper side of the main body to the other side of the ice storage, a back corner of the ice making machine main body is provided at a rear corner at the other intermediate portion of the ice making machine main body. A first guiding portion that extends a predetermined amount toward the one side along the wall, receives the ice dropped and supplied from the back side portion of the ice making mechanism portion, and guides the ice toward one side portion of the ice storage, It receives a part of the ice dropped and supplied from the middle part and the front part of the ice making mechanism part by extending a predetermined amount forward along the side wall of the ice making machine body and guiding it toward the center part of the ice storage. An L-shaped ice guide having a second guiding portion is integrally formed. An ice maker characterized by being made.