JPS608623Y2 - automatic ice maker - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention relates to an automatic ice maker that generates sheet ice on an ice plate by sequentially repeating an ice making cycle and a dehydration cycle, and prevents compressor trips during the dehydration cycle. This was prevented.

A well-known automatic ice maker is constructed as shown in FIG.

Here, the refrigeration circuit consists of a compressor 1, a condenser 3 that is forcedly air-cooled by a blower 2, a pressure reducer 4, and an ice-making plate 5 arranged on the lower surface of the ice-making plate 5, which is arranged at an angle inside the main body and produces plate-shaped ice. The evaporator 6 includes an evaporator 6, a bypass solenoid valve 7, and a bypass circuit 8 configured to bypass the condenser 3 and the pressure reducer 4.

A running water circulation circuit for circulating ice-making water on the ice-making plate 5 includes a tank 9 for storing ice-making water, a water pump 10,
It consists of a water sprinkler 11 provided at the upper end of the ice-making plate 5, and a predetermined amount of ice-making water is always stored in the tank 9 by means of a water supply valve 12 and a float 13 that controls the water supply valve 12.

Reference numeral 14 denotes an ice thickness detector provided above the ice-making plate 5, which detects the thickness of ice generated by the rotation of the motor 15 during the ice-making cycle, and operates the ice-making switch 16 (Fig. 2) to remove the ice from the ice-making cycle. The cycle is switched to a dehydration cycle in which the ice making plate 5 is heated by flowing gas into the bypass circuit 8.

Further, reference numeral 17 denotes an end detector (bimetal thermostat) which is closely fixed to the lower surface of the ice-making plate 5 and detects a temperature rise of the evaporator 6 during the dehydration cycle to switch to the ice-making cycle.

Next, the electric circuit of the automatic ice maker configured in this way is connected to the second
To explain with a diagram, 18 is a power switch, 19 is a protector that is connected to the compressor 1 and opens upon sensing overheating, 20 is a power relay controlled by the ice-making switch 16 and the bimetal thermostat 17, and the coil 2
0a, a contact piece 20b operated by this coil 20a,
It has a normally closed contact 20c and a normally open contact 20d.

As shown in the figure, a parallel circuit of a water pump 10, a motor 15 for detecting ice thickness, and a blower 2 for a condenser is connected between a power switch 18 and a normally closed contact 20c, and a contact piece 20b is connected to an electric wire. Connected to Smoke 2.

A series circuit of the relay coil 20a, the solenoid valve 7, and the bimetal thermostat 17 is connected between the power switch 18 and the power source 82 via the ice making switch 16.

The normally open contact 20d is connected between the solenoid valve 7 and the bimetal thermostat 17.

Further, a series circuit of the compressor 1 and the protector 19 is also connected between the power supplies E□ and E2 via the power switch 18.

Next, the operation will be explained.

First, in the ice making cycle, when the power switch 18 is turned on, the compressor 1, the blower 2, the pump 10, and the motor 15 for detecting ice thickness are energized.

Then, the refrigerant from the compressor 1 passes through the condenser 3, the pressure reducer 4, and the evaporator 6 and returns to the compressor 1, forming an ice-making cycle.

As a result, while the ice making plate 5 is cooled by the evaporator 6, the water pumped up by the water pump 10 in the tank 9 flows from the sprinkler 11 onto the ice making plate 5, and a portion returns to the tank 9 at the bottom. .

In this way, ice-making water is circulated on the ice-making plate 5 to produce ice sheets.

When ice of a predetermined thickness is generated, the ice making switch 16 of the ice thickness detector 14 is closed and a dewatering cycle is established.

That is, this switch 16 causes the relay coil 20 to
A and the solenoid valve 7 are energized, and the contact piece 20b becomes the normally open contact 2.
Switching to the 0d side, the blower 2, pump 10, and ice thickness detection motor 15 are stopped.

At the same time, hot gas from the compressor 1 flows into the bypass circuit 8 when the bottom of the solenoid valve 7 is opened, and flows directly into the evaporator 6, heating the ice making plate 5 and promoting ice removal.

When the sheet ice leaves the ice-making plate 5, the ice-making switch 16 of the ice thickness detector 14 is reset.

However, the contact piece 20b of the power relay 20, the contact 20d, the bimetal thermostat 17, the coil 20a of the power relay 20, and the power source E2. Since the power relay 20 is connected to El, the power relay 20 is self-retained, continues the dehydration cycle, and also melts the English and American substances formed on the back surface of the ice making plate 5.

When the ice making plate 5 becomes sufficiently warm, the bimetal thermostat 17
senses this and opens the power relay 20, thereby releasing the self-holding of the power relay 20 and forming the normal ice-making cycle described above.

However, in the dehydration cycle, the ice making switch 16
After the ice sheet is opened (the sheet ice leaves the ice-making plate 5), hot gas continues to flow into the evaporator 6 until the bimetal thermostat 17 opens, but since the sheet ice is not on the ice-making plate 5, the evaporator As the load at 6 is drastically reduced, high temperature refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 1, causing an overheating condition, a so-called trip.
The protector 19 was often activated.

As a result, the ice making capacity is reduced and the compressor 1 is also adversely affected, shortening its lifespan.

The present invention was developed with the aim of solving these drawbacks, and one embodiment thereof will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the figure, the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate the same parts, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 3, the ice making switch 16 of the ice thickness detector 14 has a normally open contact 16a and a contact 16b that comes into contact when a predetermined ice thickness is detected.
and the power switch 18.

Therefore, only the parallel circuit of the pump 10 and the motor 15 is connected between the normally closed contact 20c of the power relay 20 and the power switch 18, and the relay coil is connected between the normally open contact 16a of the ice making switch 16 and the power switch 18. 20a and solenoid valve 7
A series circuit of bimetal thermostat 17 is connected thereto.

The other circuit configurations are the same as in FIG.

The operation when configured in this way will be explained.

First, the ice making cycle starts when you turn on power switch 1B.
The compressor 1, the pump 10, and the motor 15 for detecting ice thickness are energized, and the blower 2 is also connected to the contact 16b of the ice-making switch 16.
The ice-making plate 5 is cooled by the evaporator 6, and ice-making water is circulated over the ice-making plate 5 to produce sheet ice.

When ice of a predetermined thickness is generated, the contact piece of the ice-making switch 16 of the ice thickness detector 14 switches to the contact 16a, and the blower 2 is stopped, at the same time a dehydration cycle is configured.

That is, this switch 16 causes the relay coil 20 to
A and the solenoid valve 7 are energized, and the contact piece 20b becomes the normally open contact 2.
Switch to 0d side, pump 10, ice thickness detection motor 15
At the same time as the compressor 1 is stopped, hot gas from the compressor 1 flows directly into the evaporator 6 through the bypass circuit 8, heats the ice making plate 5, and promotes ice removal.

When the sheet ice leaves the ice-making plate 5, the contact piece of the ice-making switch 16 switches to the contact 16b, so the blower 2 immediately starts operating and cools the condenser 3.

At this time, contact piece 20b of power relay 20 - contact 20d - bimetal thermostat 17 - fill 2 of power relay 20
0a and Denkigen 2. Since the power relay 20 is self-maintained, the dehydration cycle is continued while the blower 2 is operated, and the ice forming on the back surface of the ice making plate 5 is also melted.

However, since the condenser 3 has been cooled during this dehydration cycle after the ice making switch 16 has returned, the condenser 3
The refrigerant is condensed and stored.

Therefore, even if the load on the evaporator 5 is drastically reduced after ice removal, the compressor 1
Trips do not occur because the amount of refrigerant sucked into the tank is decreasing.

Thereafter, when the bimetal thermostat 17 senses the temperature of the ice-making plate 5 and opens, the self-holding of the power relay 20 is released and the normal ice-making cycle described above is established.

In this manner, by forcibly cooling the condenser 3 after ice removal and storing refrigerant for the dehydration cycle, tripping can be prevented until the bimetal thermostat 17 is opened.

As shown by the broken line in FIG. 1, the bypass circuit 8' is connected to the pressure reducer 4.
In this case, during the dehydration cycle after the plate ice is removed from the ice-making plate 5, more refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 3, so that the refrigerant is not transferred to the compressor 1. This reduces the intake of high-temperature gas and increases the trip prevention effect.

As is clear from the above description, the automatic ice making machine of the present invention includes a compressor, a forced air-cooled condenser, a pressure reducer, an evaporator equipped with an ice-making plate for making sheet ice, and a bypass of the pressure reducer. a refrigeration circuit including a bypass circuit configured as such, and a running water circulation circuit for circulating ice-making water through the ice-making plate,
Furthermore, an ice thickness detector detects the ice thickness on the ice-making plate and switches from the ice-making cycle to a dehydration cycle using the bypass circuit, and after the ice thickness detector returns, detects a temperature rise in the evaporator, The blower for cooling the condenser is connected to a contact of the ice thickness detector that closes when a predetermined ice thickness is detected, and the blower is connected to a contact point of the ice thickness detector that closes when a predetermined ice thickness is detected. Since it is designed to start after the detector returns, ice removal is quickly promoted and ice on the back of the ice plate can be melted, and the dehydration at this time, that is, the dehydration cycle after the ice thickness detector returns. Since the condenser is cooled to condense and store the refrigerant, it is possible to prevent the compressor from tripping due to overheating.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic ice maker, FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of a conventional automatic ice maker, and FIG. 3 is an electric circuit diagram of an automatic ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Compressor, 2...Blower, 3...
...Condenser, 4...Reducer, 6...
・Evaporator, end... Bypass circuit, 14...
・Ice thickness detector, 16...Ice making switch, 17.
...Bimetal thermostat (end detector).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A refrigeration circuit including a compressor, a forced air-cooled condenser, a pressure reducer, an evaporator equipped with an ice-making plate for producing plate ice, a bypass circuit configured to bypass the pressure reducer, and the like; a running water circulation circuit for circulating ice-making water, and an ice thickness detector for detecting the thickness of ice on the ice-making plate and switching from the ice-making cycle to a dehydration cycle using the bypass circuit; It has an end detector that detects a temperature rise in the evaporator after recovery and switches from a dehydration cycle to an ice-making cycle, and a contact that closes a blower for cooling the condenser when a predetermined ice thickness is detected by the ice thickness detector. The automatic ice maker is configured to stop after being connected and start a dehydration cycle, and to start after the ice thickness detector returns.