JPS5935763A - Method of detecting temperature of atmospheric air of 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 Field of Industrial Application The present invention provides an ice making machine that detects the outside temperature during ice making and adjusts the ice making time in order to control the ice thickness more accurately, for example when making the ice thickness variable. The present invention relates to an outside temperature detection method used for such ice thickness control, etc.

Conventional configuration and its problems When making the ice thickness variable in an ice maker, the user usually sets the desired ice thickness using an ice thickness setting device, and then increases or decreases the ice making time using an arithmetic circuit, etc. , to obtain the desired ice thickness. However, since the ice making capacity is greatly affected by the outside temperature, when the ice thickness set value is determined as described above, it is often the case that the desired ice thickness cannot be obtained if the ice making time is determined explicitly. In other words, it becomes necessary to perform outside temperature correction. For this reason, as a conventional method for detecting the outside temperature in ice making machines, a temperature sensor such as a thermistor is installed in the machine room, and the temperature of the air sucked through the condenser is directly detected as the outside temperature during ice making. Depending on the installation conditions of the machine, the detected outside temperature was extremely inaccurate. Specifically, under conditions with a lot of dirt and dust, the problem was that it was difficult to obtain an accurate outside temperature when making ice due to clogged condensers. .

Purpose of the Invention The present invention is based on the fact that the time from when the ice making water temperature reaches the set water temperature until the water level detection device is activated during ice making changes depending on the outside temperature. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting air temperature, thereby allowing accurate detection of outside air temperature under any installation conditions.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve this objective, a memory circuit is used that stores the outside air temperature and the ice making time until a plate-shaped water of a constant ice thickness is generated, and the water temperature is set in a water storage tank for storing ice making water. The detection device circulates the ice making water in the water storage tank through the ice making member using the circulation pump, detects that the temperature has dropped to the set water temperature (e.g. 0°C) after starting ice making, and then activates the counter to start counting and check the water level. The outside temperature is detected by counting the time until the detection device is activated and comparing the counted number with the data in the storage circuit.

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 making compartment 2 and a machine compartment 3. The ice making compartment 2 has an evaporator An ice-making member 6 having an ice-making member 4 is installed at an angle, and a water storage tank 6 for storing water for ice-making and a circulating water pump device 7 are installed in this tank 6 to constitute a flowing water circulation type ice-making system. Below the ice making member 6, an ice storage chamber 8 and an ice cube cutting heater device 9 are provided which cut the ice cubes after deicing into blocks of ice of a predetermined size. 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. 12 is an air cooling fan for the condenser 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a water storage amount detection device having a temperature sensing portion for detecting a predetermined amount of water in the water storage chamber 8, and is provided to sense the contact temperature of the ice block and stop all ice making operations.

A water supply valve 14 electrically opens and closes a water supply pipe 16 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 2o is disposed, which includes a drainage pipe 16 for maintaining a predetermined water level, and an upper limit setting switch 18 and a lower limit setting switch 19 for detecting the water level 17.

21 is the evaporator 4 when dehydrating the ice generated in the ice making member 6;
This is a solenoid valve that electrically controls hot gas flowing from the electric compressor 10.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a dehydration detection device that is attached to the ice making member 6 and detects the end of dehydration based on a predetermined temperature rise of the ice making member 5.

23 is a water temperature detection device disposed in the water storage tank 6 to detect the temperature of the ice making water.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device for the ice making machine. The main part thereof is composed of a microcomputer 24, which stores a well-known operation program for an ice maker (water supply→ice making→ice removal operations). 25 is the set water temperature (e.g. o'c
), the temperature of the ice-making water in the water storage tank is detected by the water temperature detection device 23, and when the water temperature drops to the set water temperature, the comparator circuit 26 outputs "°'H". 27 is an RS flip-flop. The design is such that the output of the comparison circuit 26 is input to the set input (S input), and the output of the lower limit setting switch 19 of the water level detection device 20 is input to the reset input (R input).

The Q1 output of the RS flip-flop 27 is input to the count start input C1 of the counter 28, and the Q2 output is input to the count stop input C2 of the counter 28. 29 is a clock pulse generation circuit for operating the counters 2 and 8; The count output of the counter 28 is inputted to the microcomputer 24 as an input signal D1, and the ice thickness setting signal of the ice thickness setting device 30 is inputted to the microcomputer 24 as an input signal D5.

Note that the ice thickness setting device 30 is composed of, for example, a volume,
An arbitrary ice thickness can be obtained by continuing the ice making operation after a constant ice thickness has been generated, and for this reason, the microcomputer 24 has a built-in timer 24' for continuing the ice making operation. However, the ice making duration time by the timer 24' is not simply adjusted by the ice thickness setting device 30, but the ice making duration time varies depending on the outside temperature. This determines the duration.

Further, 31, 32, 33, and 34 are drive circuits for operating each relay 35, 36, 37, and 3B using the output signals 0+, 02, 03, and 04 of the microcomputer 24, respectively. Among the relays 36 to 38, the relay 36 is the circulating water pump device 7. Electric compressor10. The relay 36 is connected to the air cooling fan 12, the relay 36 is connected to the water supply valve 14, the relay 3A is connected to the electromagnetic valve 21, and the relay 38 is connected to the ice cutting heater device 9.

FIG. 3 shows the time from when the water temperature detection device 23 in the water storage tank reaches the set water temperature (for example, 0°C) until the lower limit setting switch 19 operates while the ice maker of this embodiment is making ice and the outside temperature. It shows the characteristics.

This characteristic varies depending on the refrigerating capacity, but for example, the compressor 1
o output was 180 W, and the time required to increase the area of the ice making section was 31 minutes at an outside temperature of 6°C, 36 minutes at an outside temperature of 20°C, and 43 minutes at an outside temperature of 35°C.

Memory circuit 24″ built into the microcomputer 24
The above characteristics (Fig. 3) are stored in .

When the counter output from the counter 28 is input to Dl, the outside temperature corresponding to this output is stored in the memory circuit 24''.
It is read out from

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 4.

First, when the operation switch (not shown) is turned on, the output signal o1 of the microcomputer 24 operates the drive circuit 31, which operates the relay 36, which operates the electric compressor 10, circulating water pump device 7, and air cooling fan 12. to start ice making.

That is, the ice-making water in the water storage tank 6 is circulated over the ice-making member 5 by the circulation pump device 7, and an ice layer is formed on the ice-making member 5. (Fig. 4 A) When the ice making operation is started and the temperature of the ice making water in the water tank 6 drops and the set water temperature (o'c) is detected by the water temperature detection device 23 (Fig. 4 Port), the comparison circuit 26
The counter 28 starts counting the clock from the clock generator 29 in order to output the output signal "H" from the RS flip-flop 27, set the S input of the RS flip-flop 27 to "Hn", and set the Q+small output "Hn" (see FIG. 4).・) After this, ice making progresses, the water level 17 in the water storage tank θ falls, and the lower limit setting switch 19 is activated (Fig. 4 2), the R input of the RS flip-flop 27 is set to H11, and the Q2 output becomes H''.
The counter 28 stops counting (FIG. 4(e)). The microcomputer 24 receives this count number from the input signal D1.
I accept it as.

As shown in FIG. 3, the microcomputer 24 stores the ice making time and outside temperature characteristics from when the ice making water in the water storage tank reaches the set water temperature φ°C until the lower limit switch 19 is activated. Therefore, the microcomputer 24 can calculate the outside temperature from the input signal D1 (see FIG. 4). The outside temperature input signal D1 and the ice thickness setting input signal D6 from the ice thickness setting device 3o are inputted (FIG. 4, g), and the microcomputer 24 determines the timer setting time based on the power of these two (FIG. 4, h). The built-in timer device 24' is activated to continue ice making (fourth scheme). Thereafter, ice making continues until the set ice making time (Fig. 4 N), and the output signal 05 of the microcomputer 24 is connected to the input terminal of the drive circuit 33, and the drive circuit 33 is operated to activate the relay 37 and open the solenoid valve 21. Hot gas is flowed from the electric compressor 10 into the open evaporator 4, and the ice produced in the ice making section 6 is dehydrated (FIG. 4). Also, at the same time, the output signal 02 of the microcomputer 24 is connected to the input terminal of the drive circuit 32, and operates the drive circuit 32 to activate the relay 3.
6 is activated to open the water supply valve 14, water is supplied to the water storage tank 6 from the water supply pipe 15, and when the water level 17 rises to the upper limit setting switch 18, the upper limit setting switch 18 becomes conductive, and an input signal is sent from the water level detection device 20 to the microcomputer 24. D2 enters and ends water supply (not shown).

Next, dehydration is detected by the input signal D4 of the dehydration detection device 220 attached to the evaporator 4 (Fig. 4 wo), and deicing is completed (Fig. 4 wa). The output signal 04 of the microcomputer 24 is connected to the input terminal of the drive circuit 34, which operates the drive circuit 34 and plows the relay 38 to cut the ice sheet that has fallen onto the ice sheet cutting heater 9 after deicing. Therefore, the ice sheet cutting heater 9 is energized to obtain ice having the desired ice thickness.

Although each of the above-mentioned parts 27 to 29 is shown as an individual part, it is necessary to incorporate it into the microcomputer 24, process it on a program, and make it an individual part.The water temperature detection device detects the set water temperature and then the water level is detected. Since it is possible to determine the outside temperature based on the difference in ice-making time until the device detects a predetermined water level, an outside temperature thermistor is installed in the machine room as in the past. By setting the outside temperature to , it is no longer difficult to obtain an accurate outside temperature when making ice due to clogging of the condenser, etc., and more accurate outside temperature correction can be made.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an ice maker that employs an embodiment of the outside temperature detection method of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the ice maker's control device, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an ice maker that employs an embodiment of the outside temperature detection method of the present invention. A characteristic diagram of ice making time, FIG. 4, is a flowchart of the same method. 5...Ice making component, 6...Water storage tank, 7
・・・・・・Circulating water pump device, 20・River・・Water level detection device, 24・・・・Microcomputer, 24″・
... Memory circuit, 23 ... Water temperature detection device, 2
8...Counter. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao Haga 1st person
3rf4 RiF Ki:jflL (ICn Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] An ice making member that generates sheet ice, a circulation pump device that circulates ice making water to this ice making member, a water storage tank that stores ice making water,
a water level detection device that detects the water level of the ice making water in the water storage tank; a water temperature detection device that detects the temperature of the ice making water; and after the start of ice making, the water temperature of the ice making water that is circulated through the ice making member is set by the water temperature detection device. a counter that counts the time from detecting that the water temperature has dropped to a certain level until the water level detection device is activated; an ice maker comprising: a memory circuit in which a time relationship is stored; the output of the counter is connected to the input of the memory circuit; and the outside temperature is determined by reading the outside temperature corresponding to the time on the counter of the memory circuit. Outside temperature detection method.