JPS591112B2 - ice making water machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ice-making and fresh water device having an ice-making function and a function of producing fresh water or pure water that does not contain impurities.

When making ice by freezing water (raw water), the difference in freezing point between the impurities contained in the raw water and pure water creates ice that does not contain impurities, and then melts the ice to produce fresh water. The method of making it is called the freezing method, and it is applied to water purifiers.

Specifically, such a fresh water machine consists of a mechanism that uses a heater to melt a small amount of the ice produced in the ice making section and stores the fresh water produced by the melting. If this happens, there is a risk that bacteria and the like will not only grow, but also make the product unsuitable for drinking.

Also, if the amount supplied from the ice making department exceeds the amount of fresh water used,
That amount of fresh water must be removed, resulting in wasteful consumption of fresh water.

The main purpose of this invention is to maintain fresh water at a temperature suitable for drinking water, for example, 0°C to 10°C, and to maintain an appropriate amount of stored water at all times, so that fresh water can be used economically. Our objective is to provide an ice-making and water-making device that can

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new ice-making and water-making device that can be used as either an ice-making machine, a water-freshening machine, or an ice-making/watering machine.

Hereinafter, this invention will be specifically explained based on drawings showing examples thereof.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes the main body of the ice making and purifying device, which is formed into a box shape.

An ice-making mechanism is built into the box-shaped main body 1 at its upper portion.

In other words, 2 is an ice-making plate arranged diagonally, 3 is a water sprinkler installed at the upper end of the slope, 4 is a water guide plate installed at the lower end, 5 is a water tank, 6 is a water supply pipe, and W is for water supply. Solenoid valve, P
M is a circulation pump, 7 is a circulation water pipe, 8 is an evaporator constituting a refrigeration cycle, and water is supplied to the water tank 5 from the solenoid valve WV which is controlled by a float type water supply detection switch to be described later. A predetermined amount of water is stored, and this stored water is sent to the water sprinkler 3 by the circulation pump PM, and from there it is poured onto the bottom surface of the ice making plate 2 in the form of a thin film. The flowing water is cooled by the evaporator 8, and the flowing water is gradually frozen, so that a layer of ice is formed on the lower surface of the ice-making plate.

At this time, due to the difference in freezing point, the ice that grows on the bottom surface of the ice plate becomes pure ice that does not contain any impurities.

Also, because the water is constantly flowing down, foreign substances such as dirt and dust are washed away, and ice made of completely pure water grows into a plate shape.

The water that is not frozen on the lower surface of the ice-making plate returns to the water storage tank 5 via the water guide plate 4 and is circulated through the thread path.

The plate ice on the lower surface of the ice making plate 2 is formed to a sufficient size in about 30 to 60 minutes.

The generation is detected by a drop in the water level in the water storage tank 5, that is, by a float-type ice-making detection switch S1 to be described later, and the detection signal is used to control the circulation pump PM.
On the other hand, high-temperature gas from the compressor of the refrigeration cycle is sent to the evaporator 8, which warms the ice-making plate 2. The ice that has grown into a plate-like shape melts at the contact part with the ice-making plate 2 and falls under its own weight. The ice cubes are then dropped onto a cut heater H2 located below the ice making plate 2.

This cut heater H2 is for cutting dropped ice cubes into arbitrary pieces of ice cubes, and is composed of two upper and lower nichrome cutting wires arranged in a lattice shape when viewed from above.

Further, the ice making plate 2 causes a rapid temperature rise after the ice falls, and this can be detected by the deicing detection thermometer Th3.

A melting tank 9 made of a material having good thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, such as stainless steel, is disposed below the cut heater H2, and the ice cubes cut by the cut heater H2 are placed therein. is now being dropped.

An ice melting electric heater H1 and a water temperature detection thermometer Th2 (FIG. 7) for detecting water temperature are attached to the bottom of the melting tank 9.

Further, a discharge pipe 10 for molten fresh water and an operating valve 11 are provided at the bottom of the tank 9.

Further, an overflow receiver 12 is formed adjacent to the melting tank 9 to receive the water overflowing the tank, and a water level detection thermometer Th1 for detecting the water level in the tank is arranged on the tank wall portion below the overflow water level. The preheating heater H3 is placed further down from there.
is located.

A drainage tray 13 is located below the discharge pipe 10 of the melting tank 9.
There is a discharge pipe 14 thereof and a discharge pipe 15 of the overflow receiver 12.
are connected and led out of the box-shaped main body 1.

A heat insulating jacket 16 surrounds the melting tank 9 together with the overflow receiver 12.

In the space between the cut heater H2 and the melting tank 9, an ice storage box 17 is installed so that it can be taken in and out from the outside of the box-shaped main body 1.

Reference numeral 18 denotes an ice removal door provided on the front side of the water storage box 17.

A compressor CM and a fan FM constituting a refrigeration cycle are installed on the bottom side of the box-shaped main body 1, and a condenser 19 is installed on the back side of the main body 1.

Fig. 3 shows the control circuit of the electrical system of the ice-making water machine mentioned above. In the figure, So is the power switch, and Sl is the float-type ice maker built in the low level position of the water storage tank 5 of the ice-making mechanism. Detection switch S2 is a float type water supply detection switch provided at a high level position of the water tank 5, Xl is a relay activated by the ice making detection switch, Xl-1, Xl-
2 is its normally open contact, Xl-3 is its normally closed contact, X2 is the relay activated by the water supply detection switch, X2-1 is its normally closed contact, HV is the hot gas valve of the refrigeration cycle, T is the transformer, and S3 is the The ice-melting heater switch, Th2-1, is the reverse contact of the water temperature detection thermometer Th2.

In Figures 3A to 3D, one end of the contact of the water level detection thermometer Th1 and one end of the contact of the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 are connected to one terminal of the power supply, and the other end of the contact of the water level detection thermometer Th is connected to the ice making device. , the other end of the contact of the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 is connected to one end of the reverse contact of the water temperature detection thermometer, the other end of the reverse contact is connected to the ice melting heater H1, and the other end of the contact of the water level detection thermometer Th1. A control device is shown in which the other end of the contact point of the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 is connected.

In the ice making and water making machine configured as described above, a power switch S.

When turned on, ice-making water (raw water) is sent to the water tank 5 via the water supply solenoid valve WV, and when it reaches the low level, the switch S1 is turned on, and when it reaches the high level, the float type water supply detection switch is turned on. Relay X2 is activated by S2, which closes the normally open contact X2□, and since the temperature of the ice making plate is high during starting operation, the deicing detection thermometer Th3 is closed, and as a result of the activation of Rin-X0, the normally closed contact X1 −
3 opens, solenoid valve W■ closes, and water supply is stopped.

At the same time, relay
and drives the condenser cooling fan FM to start ice making operation.

The water sent to the water sprinkler 3 by the circulation pump PM is ejected from the holes or slits in a thin film form and flows along the lower surface of the ice-making plate 2.

Since the ice making plate 2 is cooled by the evaporator 8 (below -10°), the flowing water gradually freezes, and ice grows on the bottom surface of the ice making plate (.

At this time, due to the difference in freezing point, the ice that grows on the bottom surface of the ice plate becomes pure water ice that does not contain any impurities.

Also, since water is constantly flowing down, foreign substances such as dirt and dust are washed away, and ice made of completely pure water grows into a plate shape (.

The water that is not frozen on the surface of the ice-making plate flows down through the guide plate 4, is returned to the water tank, and is circulated and supplied through the thread path.

The growth of plate water on the lower surface of the ice making plate 2 is approximately 30 minutes to 60 minutes.
The ice grows to a sufficient size in minutes, and a drop in the level of the water tank 5 due to the growth of the ice is detected by the detection switch S1, that is, the detection switch S1 is opened to release the self-holding of the relay X1, and the normally open contact X1 -2 opens, thereby circulating pump P
M is stopped, water circulation is stopped, and normally closed contact X1
-3 opens the hot gas valve HV, and high temperature gas from the compressor CM is sent to the evaporator 8.

At the same time, the water supply solenoid valve wv is opened by closing the normally closed reading point X1-3, and water is supplied to the water tank 5 from the external water supply system.

When water is supplied and the water level in the water tank 5 rises,
Float type water supply detection switch S2 turns on and relay X2
is activated, the normally open contact X2-1 turns on, and a signal that water supply is completed is output to the relay X1.

On the other hand, since the high temperature gas from the compressor CM is sent to the evaporator 8, the ice making plate 2 is warmed, and the ice that has grown into a plate shape melts at the contact part with the ice making plate, falls under its own weight, and is placed below it. It falls onto cut heater H2.

When ice falls from the ice-making plate, the temperature of the ice-making plate rises rapidly, turning on the de-icing detection thermometer Th3 and energizing the relay X1.

Relay X1 self-holds at normally open contact X1-1, opens normally closed contact x1-3, closes hot gas valve HV and solenoid valve W, and closes normally open contact X1-2. The next ice making cycle is started by driving the condenser cooling fan FM and circulation pump PM.

On the other hand, the fallen ice is cut by cut heater H2 to 20 to 3
It is melted into 0 ice cubes, and when the water storage box 17 is placed, a part of it is placed, and when it is not, all of it is dropped into the melting tank 9, where it is melted by the heater H1, and fresh water is released. It is stored as .

The fresh water in the melting tank 9 is used when necessary, but if the heater H1 is always on, the water will be heated and will become unsuitable for drinking. Otherwise, there is a risk of growth of bacteria, etc.

Therefore, the temperature of fresh water in the melting tank 9 must always be maintained at 10°C to 0°C.

Therefore, in the ice making water machine, a water temperature detection thermometer Th2 is disposed at a predetermined part of the melting tank 9, and when the water temperature rises, the heater H0 is turned off and the ice chips remaining unmelted are removed. The water temperature inside the tank is cooled by the latent heat of the tank.

Further, in order to keep the water temperature in the tank constant, it is possible to consider a method of overflowing and discharging the water in the tank when it is full, but this is not preferable because it results in wasteful consumption of fresh water.

Therefore, in the above configuration, the water level detection thermometer Th1 is arranged at a location slightly below the overflow water level, and when the water level reaches a predetermined water level, the operation of the ice making mechanism is stopped. .

In order to ensure reliable operation of this water level detection thermometer Th1, the water level detection temperature sensing part is heated by the preheating heater H3, and as the water level rises, the water level detection temperature sensing part is cooled down rapidly. ing.

Furthermore, the water level detection thermometer Th1 and water temperature detection thermometer Th2 are continuously operated by the circuit shown in FIG. 3 as shown in the table below.

In other words, when the water temperature is 10°C or higher and the water level is low, the circuit shown in Figure 3A is formed, when the water temperature is 10°C or lower and the water level is low, the circuit shown in Figure 3B is formed, and when the water temperature is 10°C or higher, the circuit shown in Figure 3B is formed. When the water level is high G2I, the circuit shown in Figure 3C is formed, and when the water temperature is 10°C or less and the water level is high, the circuit shown in Figure 3D is formed.When there is sufficient water in the tank, Ice-making operation is stopped only when the water temperature is below 10℃, and even if the water level is sufficient, if the water temperature in the tank is above 10℃, ice-making operation continues, and the generated ice pieces lower the water temperature in the tank. The ice-making operation is continued until the water temperature drops to below 10°C, and then the operation is stopped.

The excess water at that time will be discharged by overflow.

Furthermore, when the water level in the tank is low, the ice making operation continues, but the heater H1 is controlled to be turned on or off depending on the water temperature in the tank.

The water level detection thermometer Th1 is installed on the outside of the tank because if it is installed on the inside of the tank, there is a risk of dust and dirt adhering to it, and it will also get in the way of cleaning the inside of the tank. Traditionally, this type of thermostat has low sensitivity, and since there is cooled and stored fresh water in the tank, the tank body is also cooled, making it less accurate in detecting the water level, but this is combined with the preheating heater H3. This eliminates the above drawbacks.

That is, in FIG. 4, if we look at the change in the water level detection thermometer Th□ with respect to the change in the water level in the melting tank 9, if there is no preheater H3, the water level will change as shown in FIG. The water level is set because the change in temperature is small compared to the change in temperature.

However, if the preheater H3 is placed below the water level detection thermometer Th1 with a small gap 9 (approximately 5 degrees), As shown in FIG. 6, when there is no fresh water in the tank at that location, the tank wall is warmed and the water level gradually rises to the set water level.

When the temperature approaches , heat is rapidly removed by the rising water, and a rapid temperature change occurs in response to a change in water level. Therefore, a more accurate water level can be detected by the water level detection thermometer Th1.

Next, looking at the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 installed in the melting tank 9, we find that the specific gravity of water is highest at 4°C (when ice and water are mixed, the ice is on the water surface, Even if the temperature near the tank is 0℃, the temperature at the bottom of the tank is 4℃, and this is true regardless of the amount of ice chips mixed in or the height of the water level.
Since the situation is always the same, it is suitable that the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 is installed at the bottom of the tank and operates at 4°C to 5°C.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the thermostat Th2 is preferably installed on the opposite side of the ice-melting heater H1, so that convection occurs in the tank and the heated water flows as shown by the arrow. After passing through the ice piece part, it passes through the part where the water temperature detection thermometer Th2 is present, and when the ice piece disappears, the temperature near the thermo part increases, so more accurate water temperature control can be obtained.

However, depending on the configuration of the ice making water machine, if the switch S3 of the ice melting heater H1 shown in FIG.
It can be used as an ice maker because ice chips can be stored in the holder, and when the switch S3 is turned on, it can be used as a water purifier as described above. 1, some of the ice pieces are stored there, and the rest is melted in the tank, so it can be used as an ice-making water machine.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an ice making device that produces pure water by operating a refrigeration cycle system, a heating device that melts ice sent out from the ice making device,
The main mechanism consists of a tank that stores fresh water produced by melting, a device that detects the water temperature in the tank, and a control device that operates the heating device based on the detection signal from this detection device to maintain the water temperature at a predetermined temperature. Furthermore, a device for detecting the water level in the tank and a control device for controlling the operation of the ice making device based on the detection signal and maintaining the water level in the tank at a predetermined level are shared. Not only can fresh water at a temperature suitable for drinking be taken out at any time, it also prevents the growth of bacteria caused by overheating the fresh water in the tank, and it also prevents overflow of fresh water in the tank, reducing wastage of fresh water. In addition, since the ice inside the tank is cooled by the generated ice, there is no wasted energy consumption, and other excellent effects can be achieved.

Although this invention has described a water purifying device in which a heating device is provided on the outer surface of the bottom of a tank for storing fresh water, for example, as described in JP-A-52-148477, a heating device is provided separately from the tank for storing fresh water. The present invention can similarly be applied to a water purifier having an ice storage chamber, and a heating device is provided therein to melt at least a portion of the ice and store it in the tank.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ice making water machine showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1A is a partial perspective view with the water storage box separated, and FIG.
The figure is a vertical sectional view, Figure 3 is an electric circuit diagram, Figures 3A to 3D are partial circuit diagrams showing rotational operation, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the melting tank section, Figures 5 and 6 are FIG. 7 is a graph showing the temperature change at the water level detection thermo installation site of the melting tank, and is an explanatory diagram of the melting tank portion. 1...Main body, 2...Ice plate, 3...
...Water sprinkler, 5...Water tank, W■...
・Solenoid valve for water supply, PM...Circulation pump, 7...
...Circulation water pipe, 8...Evaporator, H□...
... Ice melting heater, H2 ... Cut heater, 9 ... Melting tank, 10 ... Discharge pipe, 1
1... Operation valve, 12... Overflow receiver, H3
...Preheating heater, Th1...Water level detection thermo, Th2...Water temperature detection thermo, Th3.
...Deicing detection thermo, 17...Ice storage box,
CM...Compressor, 19...Condenser.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ice making device that produces pure ice by operating a refrigeration cycle system, a heating device for melting the ice sent out from the ice making device, and a tank for storing fresh water produced by the melting. , an ice making and water making machine comprising a device for detecting water temperature in a tank and a device for detecting a water level in the tank, wherein the ice making and water making machine includes one end of a contact of the water level detecting device and a contact of the water temperature detecting device. Connect one end of the to one terminal of the power supply,
The other end of the contact of the water level detection device is connected to the ice making device, the other end of the contact of the water temperature detection device is connected to one end of the reverse contact of the water temperature detection device, and the other end of the reverse contact is connected to the heating device. death,
Furthermore, a control device is provided that connects the other end of the contact of the water level detection device and the other end of the contact of the water temperature detection device, and the water temperature detection device detects that the water temperature in the tank is higher than a set temperature. When the ice making device is in the tank, the heating action by the heating device is stopped and the ice making device continues to operate regardless of the water level in the tank, and the water temperature detection device detects that the water temperature in the tank is below the set temperature. In the case where the water level of the tank is below the set water level, the heating action by the heating device is continued and the ice making device continues to operate, and when the water level is above the set water level, the heating by the heating device is continued. An ice making water machine characterized by stopping the action and stopping the operation of the ice making device. 2 The heating device uses an electric heater, the water temperature detection device and the water level detection device each use a thermostat, the electric heater is arranged on one of the outer surfaces of the tank bottom of the tank, and the water temperature detection thermostat is arranged on the other side of the tank bottom outer surface. 2. The ice making and water making machine according to claim 1, wherein the water level detection thermostat is disposed on the outer surface of the overflow area of the tank. 3. The ice making and water making machine according to claim 2, wherein the water level detection device comprises the thermostat and a preheating electric heater disposed with a slight gap from the thermostat.