JPS62147269A - Deicing operation controller for 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 (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ice maker, and more particularly to a deicing operation control device for an inverted cell type ice maker that performs deicing operation using hot gas.

(Example) Conventional technology Conventionally, the deicing operation of this type of ice maker was performed, for example, in the 1980s.
- As described in Publication No. 15089, when the water tray starts tilting upon completion of ice making, hot gas is circulated through the evaporation pipe to heat the cooler and de-ice the ice formed in the ice making compartment; For example, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-13249, there is a system in which hot gas is circulated to the evaporator to de-ice the ice cubes formed in the ice-making chamber at the same time as the tilting of the water tray ends.

(/1) Problems to be solved by the invention In the former deicing operation, hot gas circulation starts at the same time as the water tray starts tilting, so when the ambient temperature is high, the condensation temperature becomes high. The temperature of the hot gas increases, and the part of the ice cube that is in contact with the cooler melts in a short time, but the part of the ice cube that is in contact with the water tray does not melt easily, and as a result, the water tray tilts. Normally, the ice cubes would remain in the cooler and the water tray would first separate from the ice cubes, and then the ice cubes would detach from the cooler, but the ice cubes remained attached to the water tray. This causes a problem in that the water tray tilts and, in the worst case, the ice cubes attached to the water tray cannot be removed from the water tray.

On the other hand, in the latter deicing operation, hot gas circulation starts at the same time as the tilting of the water tray ends, so the drawbacks of the former are avoided, but on the other hand, the deicing time becomes longer, resulting in a decrease in ice making capacity, and the The cooling operation until the end of the plate tilting sometimes results in overcooling, causing cracks in the ice cubes and causing problems such as deterioration of quality.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the various problems of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention cools the cooler with a low-temperature refrigerant that is circulated in the evaporation pipe, and cools the water tank in the water tank with a circulation pump. This is an ice maker that performs ice-making operation by spouting water into the ice-making chamber from a fountain hole formed on the surface of the water tray, and then heats the cooler with hot gas that circulates through the evaporation pipe to perform de-icing operation, and the ice-making operation ends. This deicing operation control device for an ice maker is equipped with a timer device that starts pot gas circulation to the evaporation pipe after a predetermined period of time during the tilting of the water tray, which starts tilting based on the completion of the ice making operation. be.

(e) Function In the de-icing operation control device of the present invention, the timer starts upon completion of the ice-making operation and starts circulating the hot gas to the evaporation pipe after a predetermined period of time has elapsed during the tilting of the water tray. As a result, the cooler is heated after the water tray is separated from the ice cubes, so that it is possible to prevent the water tray from tilting with the ice cubes attached to the water tray.

(F) Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a partially cutaway side view of the ice maker of the present invention, which has a large number of ice maker chambers (IA) that open downward.
The cooler (1) with a refrigeration system evaporation pipe (2) installed on the outer surface of the upper wall and each ice making compartment (IA) are closed from below with sufficient margin, and the surface corresponds to each ice making compartment (LA). A water tray (5) having a water fountain hole (3) and a return hole (4) formed therein, and a water tank () fixed to the water tray (5) and communicating with the return hole (4).
6), a circulation pump (9) that circulates the water in the water tank (6) from the water fountain (3) to each ice making compartment (IA) via the water pipe (7) and the distribution pipe (8); A drive device (11) including a deceleration motor (10) capable of forward and reverse rotation for tilting and reciprocating the dish (5), and a water sprinkler that sprinkles water on the surface of the water dish (5) when the water supply valve (12) is opened. (13>) and a water level detection device that operates a water level switch (14C) using a float (14B) in a float tank (14A) that communicates with the bottom of the water tank (6) to detect a predetermined water level in the water tank (6). (14) etc. constitute a so-called inverted cell type ice maker.Thus, the mounting fixed to the support beam (15) is made of a plate (16).
First and second arms 17A) and (17A) and (17A) extend in opposite directions to the output shaft of the deceleration motor (10)
A drive cam (17〉) having a drive cam (17B) is connected, and the cam (
The other end of the coil spring (18) attached to the end of the first arm (17A) of the water pan (17) is connected to the side of the water pan (5), and the rear part of the water pan (5) is attached to the rotation shaft (19). ). (20) is the second arm (17B) of the drive cam (17) that rotates counterclockwise due to the forward rotation of the deceleration motor (1o).
), the deceleration motor (1o) is de-energized and the water tray (5) is stopped at a predetermined inclined open position;
It is switched by the first arm (17A) of the drive cam (17) which rotates clockwise due to the reverse rotation of the deceleration motor (10), and the power to the deceleration motor (10) is cut off and the water tray (5
This is a control switch for a seesaw set that stops the

Next, the electric circuit of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. (
21> is an electric compressor for the refrigeration system, and (22) is a timer for controlling the end of the ice making operation, which has a timer contact (22A) that closes the contact when a predetermined time has elapsed. (23)
is a deicing detection thermostat that detects the removal of ice by the rise in temperature of the cooler (1), and when the temperature of the cooler (1) drops to a predetermined temperature, it switches to the L contact (23A), and when the temperature rises to the predetermined temperature. Switches to H contact (23B). (24) is the first relay connected in series with the water storage switch (25) which closes the contact when a predetermined water storage amount is detected.
Relay contact (24A>) and normally open first relay contact (24B)
). (26) is a second relay, which has normally closed second relay contacts (26A), (26B) and (26C) and normally open second relay contacts (26D) and <26E).

(27) is the third relay, and the normally open third relay contact (27
A) and <27B). (28) is a fourth relay, which has a normally open fourth relay contact (28A) connected in series with the hot gas valve (31). (29) is a timer for hot gas control that starts when the timer contact (22A) is closed, and has a timer contact (29A) that closes after a predetermined period of time during tilting of the water tray (5). 12) is the water supply valve connected in series with the water level switch (14C), (20A1) and (20A2) are tilting contacts of the control switch (20), and (20B1) and (20B2) are the control switch (20). ) is a reciprocating contact. (10) is the deceleration morph that rotates forward or reverse depending on the switching of the control switch (20), (9) is the circulation pump, and (30) is the condenser air cooling fan. Note that the water level detection device (14) is mechanically provided with a differential to prevent water from being supplied during ice-making operation.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail. The water tray (5) is in a horizontal state with the ice making compartment (IA) closed, as shown by the solid line in Figure 1, and when the power is turned on, the normally closed first relay contact (24A)
In addition, the water supply valve (12), which is energized via the water level switch (14C), opens, and water is sprinkled from the sprinkler (13) onto the surface of the water tray (<5), and mainly passes through the return hole (4) to the water tank ( 6) Start water supply. In addition, the electric compressor (21) operates to cool the cooler (1), and the normally closed first relay contact (24A), the tilting contact (20A1), and the normally closed second relay contact (26A) are activated. The circulation pump (9) and the condenser air-cooling fan (30) operate through the ice-making operation to start ice-making operation.
Thereafter, when the water level in the water tank (6) reaches a predetermined level, the contact of the water level switch (14G) is opened by the float (14B), and the water supply valve (12) is cut off to stop watering. ) ends the water supply operation.

Therefore, the water in the water tank (6) passes through the water pipe (7) and the distribution pipe (8) and is sprayed from each water fountain (3) to each ice making compartment (IA). Excess water that does not freeze is returned through the return hole (
The water circulation operation from 4) to the water tank (6) is repeated. After the start of ice making, when the temperature of the cooler (1) falls to a predetermined temperature, the deicing detection thermostat (23) switches from the H contact (23B) to the L contact (<23A) and starts the timer (22). When the predetermined time according to (22) has passed, the timer contact (22A) is closed, the second relay (26) is energized, and the normally closed second relay contacts (26A), (26B), and (26C) are opened. At the same time, the normally open second relay contacts (26D> and (26E) are closed. This causes the circulation pump (9) and the fan (
28) stops and ends the ice making operation. The third relay (27) which is energized at this time is for preventing the mid-operation from being stopped due to the closing of the water storage switch (25).

When the ice making operation is completed, the ice removal operation is started. That is, the deceleration motor (10) is energized through the timer contact (22A) and the tilting contact (20A2) to rotate forward, and the drive cam (17) rotates counterclockwise. Along with this, the water tray (5) peels off from the bottom surface of the ice cubes frozen in the ice making compartment (IA) and starts tilting, and at the same time, the timer (29) starts. Then, while the water tray (5) is tilting, the timer (2)
9), when the timer contact (29A) closes after a predetermined time, the fourth relay (28) is energized and closes the normally open fourth relay contact (28A), and the hot gas valve (31
) is energized, the pulp (31) opens, and the evaporation pipe (2
), the cooler (1) is heated to de-ice the ice cubes frozen in the ice making compartment (IA).

Also, when some of the ice-making water left in the water tank (6) is drained while the water tray (5) is tilting, the water level switch (14C) closes, the water supply valve (12) is energized, and the water sprinkler ( 13), water spraying for cleaning is started on the surface of the water tray (5). Thus, the second arm (17B) of the drive cam (17) moves the control switch (20) between the tilting contacts (20A1) and (20A1).
2) to the double-acting contacts (20B1) and (20B2), the power to the deceleration motor (10) is cut off and the water tray (5) starts making ice as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 1. Room (IA)
Tilting ends at the tilted position where is released. In addition, in this state, water is left in the water tank <6> at a level as shown by the dotted line (X) in Figure 1, to prevent dry operation when starting the circulation pump (9) in the next cycle. .

Therefore, each ice making compartment (
The ice detaches from the ice removal detection thermostat (23).
) senses the predetermined temperature rise of the cooler (1) and closes the L contact (
23A) to the H contact (23B), the power to the timer (22> and (29) is cut off and the timer contacts (22A) and (29A) return to normal. At this time, the second relay (26) is de-energized, the normally closed second relay contacts (26A), (26B) and (26C) close to normal, and the normally open second relay contact (26D>
and (26E) open to normal, the deceleration morph (10) is energized via the double acting contact (20B1> of the control switch 20) and the normally closed second relay contact (26B), and now rotates in reverse. Then, the drive cam (17) rotates clockwise and the water tray (5) starts to move back.

The first arm (17A) of the drive cam (17) then connects the control switch (20) to the double-acting contact (20B1) and <2
0B2) to the tilting contacts (20A1) and (20A2), the deceleration motor (10) is de-energized and the water tray (5) returns to each ice making compartment (I) as shown by the solid line in Figure 1.
The double action is completed and stopped at the horizontal position where A) is closed, and at this time, the power to the hot gas valve (31) is cut off, the deicing operation is completed, and cooling of the cooler (1) is started. The circulation pump (9>) and the fan (30) also operate to start the next cycle of ice-making operation.After that, when the water level in the water tank (6) reaches a predetermined level, the float (14B) is activated as described above.
), the contact of the water level switch (14C) is opened, the power supply to the water supply valve (12>) is cut off, and the water supply operation is completed.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is provided with a timer for hot gas control that starts upon completion of ice-making operation, and the timer delays hot gas circulation to the evaporation pipe from the start of tilting of the water tray. This prevents the water tray from tilting when ice from the ice maker is stuck to the water tray, preventing problems during deicing operation.Furthermore, since hot gas circulation starts while the water tray is tilting, the deicing time can be reduced. Lost time can also be reduced.

Furthermore, since the timer is started at the same time as the water tray tilting starts upon completion of ice making, the start signal and the water tray tilting signal can be received from the same switch, and the circuit configuration can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of an ice maker equipped with the apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the present invention. (1)...Cooler, (IA)...Ice making room, (2
)...Evaporation pipe, (5)...Water dish, (29)...
・Timer, (29A>... timer contact, (3
1>...Hot gas valve.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooler equipped with a refrigeration system evaporation pipe and partitioned into a number of ice-making chambers that open downward, a tiltable water tray that closes each ice-making chamber, and a water tank fixed to the water tray. , a fountain hole comprising a drive device for tilting and moving a water tray, and a circulation pump, the cooler being cooled by a low-temperature refrigerant circulated through the evaporation pipe, and water in the water tank formed on the surface of the water tray by the circulation pump; In an ice maker that performs ice-making operation by spraying water into the ice-making compartment and de-icing the cooler by heating the cooler with hot gas circulated through the evaporation pipe, the ice-making machine starts when the ice-making operation ends and tilts when the ice-making operation ends. 1. A deicing operation control device for an ice maker, characterized in that a timer device is provided for starting hot gas circulation to the evaporation pipe after a predetermined time has elapsed during the tilting of the water tray.