JPS6152383B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ice tray for a fountain ice maker, and in particular,
This invention relates to a structure for fixing an ice cup made of a good thermal conductor to an ice tray base.

There are various structures of the ice making tray in this type of fountain ice making machine that have been used in the past, and a typical structure among them is the one disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,006,605.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a large number of openings 2 are formed in the bottom 1a of the ice tray base 1, which has an almost dish-like overall shape and is made of a thermally poor conductor such as resin. At the first opening end 2a of each opening 2, an upright peripheral wall 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape and projects substantially vertically into the interior of the ice tray base 1. At the second opening end 3a of the upright peripheral wall 3, there is an end 4a of an ice making cup 4 made of a good thermal conductor such as copper and drawn into an inverted cup shape as a whole.
are fitted, and the first flange portion 4b formed on the end portion 4a and the second flange portion 3b formed on the second open end portion 3a are in contact with each other.

Furthermore, a cooling pipe 5 is joined to the top surface 4c of each ice making cup 4 by low temperature molten metal, and a pipe 5 is connected between the bottom part 1a of the ice making tray base 1 and the lower surface of the cooling pipe 5. Spacer 5 forming a letter shape
A is inserted. Since the height of the spacer 5a is configured to be slightly longer than the distance between the bottom portion 1a of the ice tray base 1 and the lower surface of the cooling pipe 5, it is difficult to push the ice cup 4 and the ice tray 1 apart. A force acts on the first and second flange portions 4b and 3b.
are tightly fitted together.

Furthermore, FIG. 2 shows an assembly mode when the ice making tray base 1 and the ice making cup 4 are fitted together. It is mated to

However, in the conventional configuration as described above, a holding jig is required, and the spacer holds the ice making cup on the ice making tray base by the force of pushing the ice making cup away from the ice making tray base. Because of this, the vertical dimensions are made slightly larger, and the welding must be performed with a slight gap between the cooling pipe and the ice cup to which it is to be welded, making it difficult to perform the welding process. was difficult.

In addition, the ice cup base tends to be distorted by the force of the spacer trying to push it apart, and if the presser jig is not pressed properly during welding, the ice cup may tilt or may not fit properly into the opening. It may not match,
There were many cases in which the entire ice tray was defective due to welding with insufficient fit.

Furthermore, although each of the flanges can be brought into close contact with each other by pushing them apart, the joining surfaces of each flange must be completely flat and the ice-making cup must fit into the opening without tilting. Complete waterproofing cannot be achieved. However, in reality, it has been impossible to completely flatten the joining surface and to fit and insert the ice-making cup without tilting.

If water leaks from each flange due to the above reasons, the water supplied during deicing will melt the ice in the ice making cup, resulting in irregularly shaped ice with jagged edges, and the ice melting will reduce the amount of ice made. Not only that, but the weight of a single piece of ice decreases, making it difficult for the ice to fall under its own weight during deicing, which lengthens the deicing time, increases the amount of ice melted, and reduces ice-making capacity. This was a significant decline.

Another problem with the assembly process is that the cooling pipe and ice cup must be welded together while a force is applied to push them apart at the flange, and the resin ice tray base must be cooled to prevent it from melting. However, even the slightest mistake could cause the flange of the ice tray base to melt, requiring highly skilled assembly techniques.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an extremely effective means for quickly eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, an elastic body is provided in the ice making cup, and an ice tray base opening is provided on the outer periphery of the elastic body. The ice-making cup is characterized by a structure in which an upright peripheral wall extending from the ice-making cup is fitted into the ice-making tray base via an elastic body.

Hereinafter, the ice tray structure of the fountain ice maker according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

3 and 4 show a first embodiment of the ice tray structure according to the present invention, and parts that are the same as those of the conventional example will be described using the same reference numerals.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes an ice making tray base which is generally dish-shaped and made of a thermally poor conductor such as resin, and a number of openings 2 are formed in the bottom 1a of the ice making tray base 1. There is. At the first opening end 2a of each opening 2, an upright peripheral wall 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape and projects almost vertically toward the inside of the ice tray base 1. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, one of the second open ends 3a forms an annular protrusion having a hemispherical cross section. A concave portion 3d of an annular elastic body 3c, which is generally square on average, is fitted into the second opening end 3a, and the entire inner peripheral surface 3e of the elastic body 3c is made of a good thermal conductor such as copper. The outer circumferential surface of the end portion 4a of the ice making cup 4, which has been drawn into an inverted cup shape, abuts and is held integrally by the elastic force of the elastic body 3c. Further, at the lower part of the end 4a of the ice making cup 4, a flange 4b extending substantially parallel to the bottom 1a of the ice making tray 1 is fitted into a notch 3f of the elastic body 3c.

A cooling pipe 5 is joined to the top surface 4c of each ice making cup 4 by low temperature molten metal.
and ice making cup 4 are integrated.

In the first embodiment described above, when attaching the ice making cup 4 to the ice making tray base 1, first, the square annular elastic body 3c made of rubber or the like is fitted onto the outer periphery of the ice making cup 4, and then the flange of the ice making cup 4 is fitted. When the portion 4b and the notch 3f of the elastic body 3c are fitted together, the elastic body 3c is held at the outer circumference of the lower end of the ice making cup 4, and the elastic force of the elastic body 3c causes the elastic body 3c to
and the ice cup 4 are integrated.

Furthermore, in order to fit the ice making cup 4 having the elastic body 3c into the opening 2 of the ice making tray 1, the ice making cup 4
When inserted into the opening 2 in the direction of arrow A in FIG. When the ice-making cup 4 is further inserted using the ice-making cup 4 as a guide, the elastic body 3c is deflected, and the second open end 3a of the upright peripheral wall 3 fits into the groove 3d of the elastic body 3c, and the ice-making cup 4 is inserted into the ice tray base. It is installed integrally with 1.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a second ice tray structure according to the present invention.
This is an embodiment in which an extension 3h is formed in the cutout 3f of the elastic body 3c, and the flange 4b of the ice making cup 4 is held between the extension 3h and the cutout 3f. , dimensional stability is improved compared to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and problems such as ice cup falling off during the assembly process are reduced.

Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, as a third embodiment of the means for joining the elastic body 3c to the ice making cup 4, the outer peripheral surface of the ice making cup 4 is subjected to anti-rust surface treatment such as electroplating (for example, nickel plating, etc.). After that, the ice-making cup 4 is placed in a mold, and unvulcanized rubber is poured into the mold and molded to form an elastic body 3c around the outer periphery of the ice-making cup 4. Thereafter, when the elastic body 3c is vulcanized, it becomes an elastic body with elastic force, and moreover, it is firmly bonded to the anti-corrosion treated surface of the ice making cup 4. In this case, ice cup 4
Applying an auxiliary material such as a primer to the outer joint surface of the joint will make it even stronger.

As described above, in the ice tray of the present invention, after a large number of ice cups 4 are fitted to the ice tray base 1, as shown in FIG. 7 etc. first, and then each ice cup 4 and cooling pipe 5
and are assembled by soft brazing with a low-temperature molten metal (for example, solder, etc.).

Next, a case will be described in which the ice making tray configured as described above is used in a fountain type ice making machine.

As shown in FIG. 7, an ice making section 8a and a mechanical section 8b are provided in the ice making machine main body 8.
A water storage 10 surrounded by a heat insulating material 9 is formed in a, and an ice tray base 1 is provided on the upper part of the water storage 10. A large number of ice making cups 4 are installed in the ice making tray base 1, and each ice making cup 4 is provided with a cooling pipe 5, which is attached to the upper part of the ice making machine main body 8, and a water supply pipe 11 is guided inside the ice making tray 1. There is. A slope 13 having a water collection hole 12 is arranged at a lower position of the ice tray 1, and
An ice-making water tank 14 is provided below the slope 13 and is detachably attached to the ice-making machine main body 8 via bolts 14a.

A circulation pump 15 and a water sprinkler 16 are provided in the ice making water tank 14, the circulation pump 15 and the water sprinkler 16 are connected by a pipe 17, and an overflow pipe 18 provided in the ice making water tank 14 is connected to a drainage hose. It is connected to the drain pipe 20 via 19. A water shielding plate 21 is provided below the ice making tray base 1 to prevent ice making water from the water sprinkler 16 from scattering into the ice storage 10.

Furthermore, a cooling pipe 5 is provided below the ice maker main body 8.
A compressor 22, a condenser 23, and a fan motor 24 are provided.

When the power supply (not shown) is turned on in the above configuration, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 11 into the ice cube tray, and flows through the small hole 1b (Figure 6) and the overflow part 1c (Figure 6) of the ice cube tray. 13 and is stored in the ice-making water tank 14 through the water recovery hole 12. Water in the ice-making water tank 14 in excess of what is needed is drained into the drain pipe 20 via the overflow pipe 18.
drained from the water.

When the temperature of the ice-making cup 4 is detected by a sensor (not shown) and it detects that there is no ice (for example, 12°C or higher), ice-making operation is started, and the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 14 is circulated by the circulation pump 15. Water is spouted upward from the sprinkler 16 in a fan-shaped stream.
Since each ice making cup 4 is cooled by a cooling pipe 5, ice gradually grows inside it. When a sensor (not shown) detects that ice has grown sufficiently in the ice making cup 4, ice making is completed, the circulation pump 15 and the fan motor 24 are stopped, and the water fountain from the sprinkler 16 is stopped. . At the same time, a hot gas valve (not shown) is opened to feed high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant from the pressure machine 22 directly into the cooling pipe 5, heating the outer wall of the ice-making cup 4 and supplying water from the water supply pipe 11.
The ice inside melts slightly and falls onto the slope 13 due to its own weight, pushing aside the water shielding plate 21 and causing the ice storage 10 to fall.
It falls inside and is stored.

Since the ice-making tray structure of the fountain-type ice-making machine according to the present invention has the above-described structure and function, no holding jig is required for attaching the ice-making cup, making assembly easy. Furthermore, since the elastic body is formed so that the ice making cup is held substantially horizontally when the ice making cup and the ice tray base are fitted, it is difficult to determine whether the ice making cup is horizontal or not. can be determined without relying on visual inspection, which can lead to poor judgment, and the defect rate of products has been completely eliminated.

Furthermore, when welding the ice-making cup and the cooling pipe, since a heat-resistant elastic body is provided between the ice-making tray base and the ice-making cup, the heat transferred to the ice-making cup is directly transferred to the ice-making tray base. Because there is no transmission, stable products can be obtained even during rough processing steps, and no skill is required.

Further, according to the present invention, since no force is applied between the ice tray base and the ice cup to push them apart, no distortion occurs in the ice tray base.

Since the ice making cup and the cooling pipe can be welded in a completely intimate state, heat conduction between the ice making cup and the cooling pipe is good and ice making time is shortened, improving the operating efficiency of the ice making machine.

Complete waterproofing was achieved without requiring high precision because the grooves on the elastic body and the protrusions on the open end of the ice tray base were fitted together.

Since the elastic body can absorb the contraction and expansion of the ice cup over a long period of time, it is possible to completely prevent the ice tray from cracking due to fatigue.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of conventional ice trays;
3 to 7 show the ice tray structure of the fountain-type ice maker according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the first embodiment of the ice tray structure, and FIG. 4 is a summary of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an ice making tray, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing an ice making machine using the ice making tray of the present invention. 1 is the ice tray base, 1a is the bottom, 2 is the opening, 2
a is the first opening end, 3 is the upright peripheral wall, and 3a is the second
3c is an elastic body, 3d is a grooved portion, 3e is an inner peripheral surface, 3f is a notch, 3g is a guide portion, 3h is an extension portion, 4 is an ice-making cup, 4a is an end portion, 4b is a flange portion, 4c is a top surface, 5 is a cooling pipe, 6 is an outlet pipe, 7 is an accumulator, 8 is an ice making machine body, 8a is an ice making section,
8b is a mechanical part, 9 is a heat insulating material, 10 is an ice storage box, 11
is a water supply pipe, 12 is a water recovery hole, 13 is a slope, 14 is an ice making water tank, 15 is a circulation pump, 1
6 is a water sprinkler, 17 is a pipe, 18 is an overflow pipe, 19 is a drainage hose, 20 is a drain pipe, 21
is a water shielding plate, 22 is a compressor, 23 is a condenser, 24
is a fan motor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An ice tray base having a substantially dish-like shape as a whole and having a large number of openings at the bottom and made of a thermally poor conductor such as resin, and a first opening end of each of the openings. An upright peripheral wall extending toward the inside of the base, an elastic body provided at a second opening end of the upright peripheral wall, and a good thermal conductor such as copper provided on the inner wall of the elastic body in a cup shape. The elastic body engages with the end face of the ice making cup, and the elastic body fits into the second open end of the upright peripheral wall, so that the ice making cup becomes the ice making cup. An ice tray for a fountain ice maker characterized by being held on a base. 2. The upright circumferential wall portion of the ice making tray base includes a protrusion formed at the second opening end thereof, and the outer circumferential portion of the elastic body includes a concave portion formed thereon that engages with the protrusion. 2. The ice making tray for a fountain ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the ice making cup by its elastic force. 3. The outer circumferential surface of the ice-making cup has a rust-preventing plating formed thereon, and the elastic body is formed by injection molding in an unvulcanized state and then heated and heated to obtain elastic force. An ice tray for a fountain ice maker according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: