JPS61130762A - Ice making device - 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] a. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ice making device, and relates to a novel improvement for accurately detecting %K and ice storage amount and displaying the ice storage amount. It is.

b. Prior Art Water storage detection means in conventionally configured ice making devices can be roughly divided into thermostatic methods, mechanical switch methods, lever-only methods, proximity methods, photoelectric methods, and other methods.
Each of these methods has various characteristics.

In other words, in the case of a thermostatic system, when ice comes into contact with a part of the sensor (temperature sensing cylinder) of the thermostat installed in the water storage chamber, part of the sensor changes from the air temperature (usually around 3°C) to the temperature of the ice (about 0°C). It detects changes in C).
It has traditionally been the most widely used.

In addition, in the mechanical switch method, a combination of an actuating plate and a micro switch installed in the ice storage chamber allows
It is configured to be activated by the pressure when ice falls or the pressure when water is stored.

In addition, in the one-lever type, by moving a lever that rotates, oscillates, and slides relative to the ice storage chamber, the lever contacts the ice when the storage is full, and the lever is engaged by external pressure. The configuration is such that the switch changes when the switch is stopped.

In addition, in the proximity and photoelectric switch method, the so-called contactless method detects the amount of ice accumulated in the ice storage chamber by changes in capacitance, or detects the amount of ice accumulated in the ice storage chamber by photoelectrically detecting the amount of ice accumulated. It is configured to be detected by a sensor such as a switch.

C9 Problems to be Solved by the Present Invention In the conventional configurations described above, each system had various problems.

That is, in the case of the thermostatic system, the temperature inside the refrigerator drops in the winter, so ice making is stopped even though the ice does not come in contact with the ice making system, which poses a problem for automatic winter operation in cold regions. In addition, ice comes in contact with a part of the sensor (temperature-sensing tube) and melts, so the ice around the sensor part melts and forms a tunnel, even though there is no decrease in the amount of stored ice that requires re-ice-making operation. However, the ice-making operation was not performed properly, which caused serious problems such as damage to the ice-making mechanism. Moreover,
Part of this sensor needs to be made of metal because it needs to detect temperature, and over a long period of time it would rust and become unsanitary. Furthermore, the mounting position of a part of the sensor must be determined based on the results of repeated experiments over a long period of time during the development process, which has been a major obstacle in shortening the development period.

In addition, in the case of mechanical switches, the humidity inside the refrigerator is particularly high, and there is a good chance of water getting wet.Although we pay close attention to waterproofing micro switches, etc., water intrusion can cause serious damage. This caused functional problems. Moreover, since this microswitch is located inside the refrigerator used by the user, it often breaks or becomes erroneously adjusted when removing ice. Furthermore, since the pressure of the ice is extremely small, the adjustment is very delicate, and malfunctions may occur due to minute adjustments or variations in parts.

In addition, in the case of a one-lever type, the mechanical part thereof is very complicated and requires means for driving (for example, a motor, a cam, etc.), and it is extremely expensive.

Problems arise in terms of wear and durability of the motor sliding parts, and the same drawbacks as the above-mentioned configurations exist in terms of breakage and delicate adjustment.

In addition, in the case of proximity and photoelectric switch methods, the entire device is extremely expensive, and if a part of the sensor becomes dirty with limescale or dust, malfunctions may occur.In particular, with the photoelectric switch method, ice is transparent. Therefore, it had the disadvantage of being prone to malfunction.

Furthermore, in the conventional configuration, the installation position of the sensor and the adjustment of the sensor operation are extremely delicate, making it difficult for the user to change or adjust the installation position and adjust the amount of ice storage to the user's preference. It was impossible to change any buttons. There is no need to mention the effectiveness of allowing users to change the amount of ice stored to their liking, but for example, in the winter when usage is low, the amount of ice stored is the same as in the summer when usage is high.ha
Freezing and storing ice is completely wasteful and uneconomical. Also, not only the season and time, but also the installation environment of the machine,
For example, in cases such as student cafeterias where the amount of ice used decreases considerably during summer vacation, but the machine cannot be completely stopped, it is useful for ice maker users to be able to freely vary the amount of ice stored. It was requested.

Regarding this variable amount of ice storage, the Jitko Shoat-λ40
Although proposed in Publication No. 26, in this configuration,
Only variable states can be obtained in stages, and the configuration is not such that it can be changed in any state, but a temperature sensor is required for each stage.
They had to be installed one by one, making them expensive and complicated.

Additionally, with conventional ice makers, there is no indication of how much water is stored inside the machine, and if the ice runs out, some stores are unable to respond to customer orders. It was also a big issue regarding the credibility of ice, and there was a strong desire to display the amount of ice stored.

d. Means for Solving the Problems The present invention aims to provide extremely suitable means for quickly eliminating the above problems, and its gist is to provide an ice storage system having an internal ice storage chamber. a main body, an ice making mechanism section provided within the main body for supplying ice to the ice storage chamber, an ice weight detection section provided outside the ice storage chamber for detecting the weight of ice, and the ice weight detection section. The ice making apparatus includes a control section connected to the ice making mechanism section for controlling the ice making mechanism section based on ice weight detection data.

e. Operation When the ice weight detected by the ice weight detection unit reaches a predetermined ice weight upper limit set value, the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism unit is stopped, and the ice weight detected by the ice weight detection unit reaches a predetermined value. When the ice weight lower limit set value is reached, the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism is started, and the ice storage amount can be displayed based on the ice weight detection data, and furthermore, the ice weight upper limit set value can be arbitrarily set. It is possible.

f. Embodiments Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

What is indicated by the symbol / in the drawings is a main body that is insulated with a heat insulating material -, and a door J is attached to the front surface of this main body I so as to be openable and closable.

A sealing gasket 3a and a handle 3b are provided on the upper part of the door J, and a panel JC having an insulated interior is attached to the door 3, and the door 3 can be opened and closed by a hinge 3d. It is pivoted. Furthermore, the actuator lIa of the door switch Hiroshi provided at the upper end of the main body is configured to be connectable to the handle Jb, and detects whether the door J is opened or closed.

An ice making mechanism section is disposed in the upper part of the main body l, and this ice making mechanism section! The ice made in this step is dropped into a water storage chamber 6 formed in the lower part of the main body 1. This ice storage chamber 6 has a side wall 6a
and a bottom part 6b, and this bottom part 6b has a drainage lower integrally, and the slide wheels provided on each side of the heat insulating material t integrally formed with this bottom part AbK serve as guide parts of the main body/. The ice weight detecting section 11 is constituted by the bottom section 6b, the heat insulating material t, the drainage lower and the sliding wheel 9. The lower part of this ice weight detection section 11, that is, the main body l
An ice weight sensor 1 is disposed on the bottom plate /a of the ice weight sensor 1, and the ice weight is detected by pressing the bottom surface of the ice weight sensing portion 1/ against the ice weight sensor 2 according to the ice weight.

The operation of the ice weight sensor/U and the control method of the ice making mechanism section j are shown in a control flowchart disclosed in FIG. 2, which constitutes a control section for controlling ice making and water storage.

That is, in Figure 1, w after wT measurement (/5)
T is the ice weight in the water storage chamber 6 at the current moment detected by the ice weight sensor 12, and wT is the weight of ice measured at a constant cycle and determined by several detections.
The average value W7, which is the average ice weight of wT, is determined by the calculation unit (lda). We is a predetermined upper limit setting value for ice weight to stop the ice making operation when ice is accumulated in the ice storage chamber 6, and WM is a constant value for comparison with WT when ice is accumulated in the ice storage chamber 6. Ws
> WM relationship is essential.

In the above configuration, when the power is turned on, wT measurement (
/, 7) is started, this WT is taken up several times and calculated to give an average value WT (14), and this average value WT is calculated on the ice weight display l! Therefore, the average value wT is displayed as if it were output (/6).

Next, wT and We are compared (/7), and if WT>We, it means that the ice in the water storage chamber 6 has exceeded the predetermined ice weight upper limit setting value, so the operation of the ice making mechanism section 3 is stops (
2/). If WT > We, then a comparison (14) is made between wT and wM, and if WT)Wy, it is determined whether or not the ice-making mechanism 3 is in operation (/9), and if it is in operation, it remains unchanged. The operation C201 is continued, and if it is stopped, the stop (-/) is continued. Conversely, WT<W
If M (if WT>WM is No), operation <X> continues.

Next, a case in which an actual machine is operated will be described based on the above-described flowchart.

Measure the water type tW〒, average it to find WT, and wT
Display. Immediately after driving, W = θ, so W
Since it is lighter than s and also than Wv, operation continues (repeat /3→/Hiro→16→/ri→/1→koO).

As this operation continues and ice gradually accumulates and becomes heavier than WM, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is currently driving. →/?→koO) Operation will continue on the route. If you continue driving further, it will become heavier than Ws, so (/J→/4'→/6
The operation will be stopped along the route →/ri→ko/).

Even when the operation is stopped, WT is measured along the route (13→/Q→/6→/7→col), WT is calculated, and the display continues. When the ice melts due to use or heat intrusion from the outside, W7 becomes lighter than Ws but heavier than wM, and at that time it is determined whether it is running or not, but in this case it is stopped. Therefore, (/J→
/4! The stop continues along the route →/6→/ri→/S→/q−+ko/).

Furthermore, when the ice melts and becomes lighter than wM, the aforementioned (/
Driving is started again on the route 3→/41→/6→/ri→/r-4201. In addition, the above-mentioned Ws is a variable resistor,
It is configured such that it can be varied by an electronic variable resistance means, etc., and this is extremely easy to do as it only requires changing the constants of an electronic circuit in a control section consisting of a known CPU etc. equipped with an arithmetic circuit (not shown). be exposed. If the aforementioned adjustment means are installed in a position on the main body where the user can easily adjust them,
The amount of stored ice can be precisely varied according to the user's preference, and an ice making device with an ideal water storage detection function can be provided. In this case, it is convenient to have a configuration in which W9 and wM can be adjusted in conjunction with each other. Also, Ws
> WM is good in theory, but considering the actual usage situation, w3-Wv-=A C constant y, the ideal constant A, has been determined in advance through experiments, so Ws must be adjusted. Then, it changes according to the relationship WM = ws - A, so it is more convenient to set it to 5.

In addition, for sudden starts from a stopped state when ice is taken out immediately after stopping, or sudden stops due to incorrect measurements during operation, the optimum value should be determined through appropriate experiments. This can be solved by being able to.

Next, a specific configuration of the ice weight sensor will be explained. That is, the configuration is as shown in FIGS. 3 to 3, and in the configuration shown in FIG. Pace 24LK made of mild steel material provided between
A thin resistance wire 3 is formed in a comb-teeth shape. When ice accumulates in the water storage chamber 6, the weight of the water storage chamber 6 increases, pressing the base cog, and conversely, when ice decreases, the pressing force on the base cog decreases. Therefore, when there is ice in the ice storage compartment 6, the base cog contracts slightly, and when there is no ice, it expands, so the thin resistance wire 23 provided on the base 2'l also expands and contracts in the direction of the arrow, resulting in resistance. A change occurs in the resistance value of the wire, and by reading this change and processing it in the control section (not shown), it is possible to detect the weight (t) of the ice in the water storage chamber B.

Fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the ice weight sensor shown in Fig. 3, in which the thin resistance wire 3 is formed on the back surface of the bottom part 6b, and the bottom part 6b is made of a deformable material such as resin. Since it is made of a material, the thinner resistance line λ3 also expands and contracts as the ice increases and decreases, and the amount of water can be detected based on the change in resistance value, similar to the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the ice weight sensor shown in FIG. 3, in which a first electrode plate roller formed on the back surface of the bottom part 6b,
With the first electrode plate roller formed on the surface of the heat insulating material t,
A capacitor having an electrode spacing -t is formed, and the ice weight can be measured by detecting a change in capacitance of the capacitor due to a change in the electrode spacing t due to an increase or decrease in ice.

The ice weight sensor 1 may have various configurations other than those described above, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

30 Effects of the Invention Since the ice making device according to the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, it is possible to arbitrarily vary the amount of stored ice, and display the current amount of ice stored, so that the user can change the amount of ice stored depending on the season or Since the ice making capacity of the ice making device can be arbitrarily changed depending on the frequency of use, and the amount of ice in the ice making device can be monitored, the reliability of the ice making device can be significantly improved.

Furthermore, since the ice making amount detection means is installed in a part of the ice storage compartment that does not come into contact with ice at all, rust may occur, serious problems may occur due to the intrusion of broken water when taking out the ice, and the sensor may become dirty.
It is possible to prevent malfunctions due to ice cubes, and the interior of the refrigerator is expanded, making it extremely easy to remove ice.

In addition, unlike conventional configurations, there is no possibility of malfunctions due to outside temperature, and no matter how much water is stored in the ice, it can be reliably detected, and there is no malfunction due to the ice arching phenomenon. Since the amount of water can be precisely controlled, energy saving effects can also be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings are for showing a preferred embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the overall configuration, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the ice making control procedure, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view showing the ice weight sensor, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 5 are enlarged sectional views showing other embodiments of the water type quantity sensor. l is the main body, ko is the insulation, 3 is the door, hiro is the door switch,
3 is the ice making mechanism section, 6 is the ice storage chamber, 6a is the side wall, 6b is the bottom, t is the insulation material, 14 is the water type dragon detection section, lλ is the ice weight sensor, 14I is the calculation section, and lhiro is the ice weight display section. , Ko Hiro is pace, Ko! is the resistance wire, col is the first electrode plate, core is the co-electrode plate, and t is the electrode spacing. Figure 3 Figure 5

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A main body (1) having an ice storage chamber (6) therein, an ice making mechanism section (5) provided in the main body (1) for supplying ice to the ice storage chamber (6), and the ice storage An ice weight sensor (provided outside the chamber (6) to detect the weight of ice)
12), and a control section (13-21) connected to the ice weight detection section (11) for controlling the ice making mechanism section (5) based on the ice weight detection data, When the ice weight detected in step 12) reaches a predetermined ice weight upper limit set value, the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism section (5) is stopped, and the ice weight detected by the ice weight sensor (12) reaches a predetermined value. An ice-making apparatus characterized in that the ice-making mechanism unit (5) starts ice-making operation when the ice weight lower limit set value is reached. (2) The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ice storage amount display section (14) for displaying the ice storage amount based on the ice weight detection data of the ice weight sensor (12).