JPS59176559A - Controller for feedwater to automatic ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 21 ''' This invention relates to a control device for an automatic ice making machine, and particularly relates to the control of water supply time for ice making water.

Conventional configuration and its problems A conventional ice maker supplies water before making ice at the beginning of ice making operation, and operates a timer after the upper limit setting switch detects the upper limit of water supply. During this time, an overflow operation was performed to continue supplying water, and only the same amount of water was drained from the water storage tank as was supplied during that time, and then ice was made.

Furthermore, when ice making is completed and water is dehydrated, water is supplied in the same way to perform an overflow operation. The purpose of this is to drain dirty water at the end of ice making through an overflow operation and to clean the ice making water. However, since the overflow operation dilutes the dirty water in the water storage tank before draining it, it is often difficult to drain the water cleanly in a short period of time. On the other hand, if the overflow operation is prolonged and water is supplied for a long time, it becomes inconvenient from the viewpoint of water conservation.

Purpose of the Invention Therefore, the present invention aims to keep ice-making water sufficiently clean, and to
The purpose is to provide a control device that can contribute to water conservation.

Composition of the Invention In order to achieve this object, the present invention, when a water storage level detection device of an ice maker detects that the water is full, increases the timer time from when the upper limit setting switch detects the upper limit water level to increase the amount of water discharged. The purpose is to save water by increasing the amount of ice making water in the water storage tank, and by draining water only when the water is full, rather than increasing the amount of water drained all the time.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure shows an example of an ice maker according to the present invention. 1 is an ice maker main body formed of a heat insulating wall, and is composed of an ice maker 2 and a machine room 3. The ice maker 2 has an evaporator An ice-making member 6 equipped with ice making member 4 is installed at an angle, and a water storage tank 6 for storing ice-making water and a circulating water pump device 7 are installed in this tank 6 to constitute a flowing water circulation type ice-making system. An ice storage chamber 8 and an ice cube cutting heater device 9 are provided below the ice making member 5, and an ice cube cutting heater device 9 is provided for cutting ice cubes into ice blocks of a predetermined size after deicing. Further, in the machine room 3, an electric compressor 10 and a condenser 11, which together with the evaporator 4 form a refrigeration circuit, are arranged. This is an air cooling fan for the 12-way condenser 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a water storage amount detecting device having a temperature sensing portion for detecting a predetermined amount of ice in the water storage chamber 8, and is provided so as to stop all ice making operations by sensing the contact temperature of ice cubes.

A water supply valve 14 electrically opens and closes a water supply pipe 15 connected to a water source to introduce ice-making water into the water storage tank 6. Inside the water storage tank 6, a water level detection device 20 is arranged, which is composed of a drain pipe 16 for maintaining a predetermined water level and allowing excess water to overflow, and an upper limit switch 18 and a lower limit setting switch 19 for detecting the water level 17. ing.

21 is the evaporator 4 when dehydrating the ice generated in the ice making member 5;
This is a solenoid valve that electrically controls the hot gas flowing from the electric compressor 1o.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a dehydration detection device which is attached to the ice making member 5 and detects the end of dehydration based on a predetermined temperature rise of the ice making member 5.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device for the ice making machine. 23 is a control circuit, a microcomputer (CPU)
24, ROM 25, RAM 26, and timer 27. The ROM 26 stores a program that determines the next operation to be performed based on the confirmation order of operations and the state at that time. The RAM 26 stores what kind of operation is currently being performed.

The timer 27 has an upper limit of the overflow operation time;
The lower limit is set by the upper limit setting switch 18 and the lower limit setting switch 1.
9 is detected, each signal is emitted and sent to the control circuit 23. The dehydration detection signal 3° is generated when the dehydration detection device 22 detects dehydration as 6·S′, and is sent to the control circuit 23. 3
2 to 34 are a group of relays, and the output δ1 from the control circuit 23
．． δ2. It operates by δ3. The relay 32 is connected to the circulating water pump device 7, the electric compressor 1o, and the air cooling fan 12, the relay 33 is connected to the water supply valve 14, and the relay 34 is connected to the solenoid valve 2.
Connected to 1.

The water storage amount detection device 13 detects whether the ice storage is full or not, and the timer period of the timer 27 is completely variable based on the full water detection signal 31 generated by this device. In other words, 21 of the timer 27 (during operation, the water supply valve 14 is open, so the ice storage tank 6
Water continues to be supplied to the tank, and during this time, an overflow operation is performed by the drainage vibrator 16 for overflow. The overflow time set by the timer 27 is normally set to 30 seconds, for example. - When receiving the actual hot water detection signal, the control circuit 23 sets the timer 27 to 3, for example.
By doing this, when the tank is full, the overflow time is increased to 3 minutes compared to the normal overflow of 30 seconds, increasing the amount of drainage and cleaning the ice-making water in the tank.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG.

By turning on the non-switching operation switch, the output δ of the control circuit 23
1 drives the relay 32, operates the circulating water pump device 7, electric compressor 10, and air cooling fan 12, and starts ice making (FIG. 3a). The ice-making water in the water storage tank θ is circulated over the ice-making member 5 by the shunting circulation pump device 7, and an ice layer is formed on the ice-making member 6. When an ice layer is formed on the ice making member 6, the water level in the water storage tank 6 begins to drop and the upper limit setting switch is turned OFF (FIG. 3b). As the ice-making operation continues, the water level 17 will decrease.
Therefore, lower limit setting switch 19°'ON''' (Fig. 3C
)L, the ice making operation is completed, the dehydration operation is started, and at the same time, water starts being supplied to the water storage tank 6 (Fig. 3 d). Driving de-icing,
After the ice making is completed, the relay 34 is driven by the output 63 from the control circuit 23, the solenoid valve 21fir is opened, and the hot gas from the electric compressor 10 flows into the evaporator 4, and the ice produced in the ice making member 5 is dehydrated. In addition, water is also supplied by the output 02 from the control circuit 23 to drive the relay 33 to open the water supply valve 14, and water is supplied to the water storage tank 6 from the water supply pipe 15. When the water supply continues, the lower limit setting switch 19 turns OFF'' (Fig. 3 e). When water is further supplied, the upper limit setting switch 19 turns OFF.
8 turns on" (Fig. 3 f).

Next, by inputting the detection signal 31 from the water storage amount detection device 13 into the control device 23, it is determined whether or not the water is full (FIG. 3q). If the water is not full, the control device 23 operates the timer 2γ for a time t as normal (cycle) operation, continues supplying water during that period, performs an overflow operation to drain water from the drain pipe 16 (Fig. 3h), and then closes the water supply valve. Turn OFF (Fig. 3 1) and start the next ice making process (
Figure 3 a).

On the other hand, in FIG. 3q, when the water is full, upon receiving the full water detection signal 31, the control circuit 23 starts the timer 27f.
zc longer than the time t set for normal operation ((t+a
), then continue to supply water for a period of time (t + α) (Fig. 3 j), and then turn the water supply valve ゛○FF''.
(Figure 3k). Next, in this case, a detection signal indicating that the water is full causes the controlled ice-making operation to start (FIG. 3a). Although the timer 27 is shown as an individual component, it is clear that it is built into the CPU 24 and processed on a program, and does not need to be an individual component.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides a water level detection device comprising a lower setting switch and an upper limit setting switch for detecting a predetermined water level in a water storage tank, and a water level detecting device that detects a predetermined water level in a water storage tank. It has an intelligent water supply control device consisting of a control device with a timer that closes the water supply valve after a predetermined time, and overflows for one hour in response to a full water detection signal from a water storage amount detection device that detects whether water storage is full or not. When the water is full (the upper limit has been reached), the overflow operation is performed for a longer period of time than normal, which dilutes the impurities in the water in the water storage tank, and also puts the overflowing water into storage mode. The water in the water storage tank increases by 10 liters only when the water is filled, and has the advantage of being able to make hygienic and transparent ice, as well as saving water, and is a practical solution that eliminates the disadvantages of the conventional method. A water supply control device can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the ice making machine of the present invention;
The figure is a block diagram showing the control device of the ice maker, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the moving body of the ice maker. 6...Ice making component, 6...Water storage tank, 1
3...Ice storage amount detection device, 15...Water supply valve, 16...Drain pipe, 18...Upper limit setting switch, 19...Lower limit setting switch , 23...
...Control circuit (means), 27...Timer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A water storage system comprising an ice-making member that generates plate-shaped water, a circulation pump that circulates ice-making water to the ice-making member, and a drain pipe that stores ice-making water and overflows ice-making water in excess of a predetermined storage amount. A tank, a timer in the water storage tank that can vary the ice making time, a water supply valve that continues to supply water even while the timer is operating, an ice storage compartment that stores the ice made, and a predetermined amount of water in the ice storage compartment. and a water storage amount detection device that stops all ice making operations. A water supply control device for an automatic ice maker, comprising means for extending the operation time of the timer for a longer time than in normal operation, when detecting that the timer has reached an upper limit, and supplying water for a long time to lengthen the overflow time.