JPS6237091Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention makes it possible to supply a large amount of cold water by producing and storing ice cubes using an ice maker, creating cooling water using a water cooler, and adding water at ambient temperature as appropriate. This invention relates to a control device for an ice-making water cooler.

In fields that require a large amount of cold water, such as the industry that handles perishable tofu, cold water produced by a water cooler is used for everything from soaking raw beans to changing water to products and packaging. For example, the amount of water used when replacing a product will of course vary depending on the scale of the tofu production facility, and a medium-sized facility may use cold water with a water temperature of 10°C or less at a rate of about 15% per minute for about an hour. Therefore, it is not possible to supply such a large amount of cold water unless you use a water cooler with a very large capacity. However, in the tofu industry in general, and especially in the case of retailers who must set up stores in convenient locations, in addition to manufacturing equipment that originally requires a large installation space,
In many cases, installing a large-capacity, ie, large-sized, water cooler is impossible due to space constraints, and the reality is that it is difficult to supply cold water.

Also, as is well known in the tofu industry,
The raw beans are soaked by the evening of the previous day, and various operations such as grinding, heating, filtration, coagulation, and molding are performed from the early morning of the next day, and then the product is water-exchanged, that is, exposed to water, by around 7 to 8 a.m. Since workers are forced to work under such harsh working conditions, there was a demand for improvements.

Therefore, this invention takes these circumstances into consideration,
To provide a control device for an ice-making chiller that can supply a large amount of cold water without requiring a large installation space and does not cause unnecessary trouble to the user.

For this purpose, the control device according to the present invention supplies ice-making water in an ice-making tank to the ice-making compartment by a circulation pump while supplying refrigerant to an ice-making evaporator provided in the ice-making compartment via the first opening/closing means during ice-making operation. an ice-making mechanism that alternately repeats an ice-making mode in which ice is made by spouting water and a water-removal mode in which hot gas is supplied to the ice-making evaporator via a hot gas valve; an ice-making mode that includes the first opening/closing means and the circulation pump to control the operation of the ice-making water chiller, which includes a chilled water mechanism unit that supplies refrigerant to a water-cooling evaporator and cools tap water with the water-cooling evaporator; and a deicing mode section including the hot gas valve, a first electric circuit for causing the ice making mechanism section to perform ice making operations in the ice making mode and the deicing mode, and the second opening/closing means,
a second electrical circuit for causing the chilled water mechanism section to perform a chilled water production operation; an _A2 contact connected to the deicing mode section of the first electrical circuit; and a contact connected to the second opening/closing means of the second electrical circuit; a timer comprising a switch having _two contacts B connected to the ice making mode section of the first electrical circuit and _one contact B connected in series to _the switch; a changeover switch of the timer, the switch of the timer switches from the _a2 contact connected to the deicing mode section of the first electric circuit to the second contact of the second electric circuit when the set time of the timer has elapsed. The changeover switch switches to the _b2 contact connected to the opening/closing means, and when the ice-making water tank is tilted and there is substantially no ice-making water therein, the changeover switch switches to the ice-making mode section side of the first electrical circuit. In this case, the _a1 contact is switched to the _b1 contact on the switch side.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic vertical cross-section of an ice-making water chiller according to the present invention, and its main structures include an ice-making mechanism section 2 for producing ice 1, a chilled water mechanism section 3 for producing cooling water,
A stocker 4 for storing ice and cooling water is provided.

The ice-making mechanism 2 may have various known structures, but as in this embodiment, it has a large number of ice-making chambers 5 that open downward, and is cooled by an ice-making evaporator 6. It is preferable to use a type in which water for ice making is sprayed from below into the ice making chamber 5 to form ice cubes. The ice 1 produced by the ice making mechanism section 2 by alternately repeating operations in ice making mode and deicing mode for a predetermined period of time is stored in the stocker 4. The cold water mechanism section 3 may be of a known double tube type with fins, and includes an inner tube 3a through which water passes as shown by the arrow, and an outer tube or water cooling evaporator 3b through which a refrigerant passes, and includes an ice making mechanism. After the section 2 continues to operate in the ice making mode and the deicing mode for a predetermined period of time, it is activated to store cooling water in the stocker 4. The same stocker 4 is suitable insulation material 1
It is surrounded by 3.

FIG. 2 shows the refrigeration circuits of the ice making mechanism section 2 and the chilled water mechanism section 3. The refrigeration circuit is compressor CM,
Condenser CO, receiver 14, dryer 15,
First solenoid valve (first opening/closing means) V ₁ , first expansion valve
EV ₁ and the ice-making evaporator 6 are connected in series to form a closed circuit, and a pipe that bypasses the condenser CO and the first expansion valve EV ₁ is used to de-ice the ice formed in the ice-making compartment 5. A hot gas valve HV is provided to perform this. On the other hand, in order to operate the chilled water mechanism section 3, a first electromagnetic valve V ₁ , a first expansion valve EV ₁ and an ice-making evaporator 6 are used.
In parallel with, a second solenoid valve (second opening/closing means)
V ₂ , second expansion valve EV ₂ and water cooling evaporator (outer pipe 3
b) is connected. 1st solenoid valve V ₁ and 2nd
As described later, the solenoid valves _V2 are electrically connected so that when one is open, the other is closed, and one compressor CM and one condenser CO are used for ice-making operation and It is possible to perform cold water operation alternately.

In the embodiment, separate solenoid valves V ₁ and V ₂ are used for the ice making mechanism section 2 and the chilled water mechanism section 3, but for example, a well-known three-way valve may be used and the number of valves may be reduced to one. You can also do this.

Therefore, for example, when using this ice-making water cooler in the tofu industry, after soaking the raw beans the day before,
The first solenoid valve V ₁ is opened and the second solenoid valve V ₂ is closed to continue ice-making operation for a predetermined period of time, that is, until several hours before product water change on the next day, and thermal energy is stored in the stocker 4 in the form of latent heat of water. After that, the first solenoid valve V ₁ is closed and the second solenoid valve V ₂ is opened to perform cold water operation, and the cooling water is stored in the stocker 4 as well. When replacing water for the product, while continuing the cold water operation, the discharge valve 16 is opened and, for example, tap water is supplied through the pipe 17, and the cooling water at a low temperature close to 0°C in the stocker 4 is supplied to a predetermined temperature of approximately 10°C or lower. It can be heated to a temperature and supplied to a water exchange tank (not shown). Known automatic temperature control valves may be used for temperature control.

In this way, according to the present invention, thermal energy is stored in the form of latent heat of ice during the night, and furthermore, after the ice is produced, cold water can also be supplied using the same compressor and condenser. , it is possible to supply a large amount of cold water using a device that requires a relatively small installation space, and requires almost no effort on the part of the user.

FIG. 3 shows an electrical circuit diagram for controlling the operation of the ice-making water chiller according to the present invention. Next, the operational control mode using this electric circuit is shown in Figs. 1 to 3, especially Fig. 3.
Explanation will be made in conjunction with the figure.

In FIG. 3, TM ₂ is a 24-hour timer, which has a coil 18 connected at one end to the + side of the power supply and at the other end to the - side, and the set time is manually adjusted by a dial 19. Switch S ₂ of the timer TM ₂
When the set time is reached, the electric circuit 2 of the ice making mechanism section 2
Switches from the _A2 contact on the A side to the _B2 contact on the electric circuit 3A side of the chilled water mechanism section 3. This a ₂ contact is connected to the deicing mode portion of the electric circuit 2A including the hot gas valve HV, and the b ₂ contact is connected to the second magnetic valve V ₂ of the electric circuit 3A. Connected in series to the coil 18 is a normally closed manual changeover switch SW ₂
So, open this switch SW ₂ and turn dial 1
Switch S ₂ can be set to A ₂ contacts or B ₂ by manual operation in step 9.
By connecting to the contact side, the ice making and water chiller can be operated independently as an ice maker or a water chiller. Switch SW ₄ connected in parallel to this timer TM ₂
is, for example, the illustrated position in the stocker 4 (Fig. 1).
A well-known ice accumulation _detection switch installed in
The switch SW ₄ is likely to malfunction and close temporarily due to ice cubes falling from the ice making compartment 5, but it will activate if the closed state does not continue for a predetermined period of time. Since the timer TM ₁ is provided, malfunctions can be prevented.

The water cutoff switch SW ₁ connected in series with the timer TM ₁ is a pressure switch installed in the pipe 21 (Fig. 2) that supplies water to the condenser CO and the chilled water mechanism section 3, and shuts off the water due to the pressure difference before and after the switch. It detects the condition and opens, cutting off the electrical circuit from the power source. Therefore,
When the water is cut off, the chilled water mechanism section 3 is operated, and its inner pipe 3a
Accidents such as damage to the chilled water mechanism section 3 due to freezing of the water inside can be prevented.

Next, ice making operation and chilled water operation using such a control device will be explained.

The changeover switch _S1 , which is arranged so as to be selectively connectable to the switch _S2 of the timer _TM2 , switches the ice-making water to the _b1 contact side when the ice-making water tank 7 and water tray 8, which will be described later, are tilted downward. When the tank 7 and water tray 8 are in the raised position shown in FIG. 1, they are connected to the _a1 contact side. The a ₁ contact of the changeover switch S ₁ is connected to the ice-making mode section having the first solenoid valve V ₁ and the circulation pump PM, and the b ₁ contact is connected in series to the switch S ₂ of the timer TM ₂ described above.

Prior to the ice-making operation, ice-making water is introduced into the ice-making water tank 7 in the raised position up to a predetermined water level via the solenoid valve WV. When switch SW ₃ detects a predetermined water level, solenoid valve WV is closed. During the ice-making mode of ice-making operation, the ice-making water is circulated and supplied to the ice-making chamber 5 by the circulation pump PM and gradually frozen, and the unfrozen ice-making water is made public through an opening (not shown) in the water tray 8. It returns to the ice-making water tank 7 in this manner. During this state, the switch _S1 is on the _A1 contact side, that is, the ice making mechanism section 2
Since the first solenoid valve _V1 is opened, the second solenoid valve _V2 and the water supply solenoid valve _V3 are closed, and cold water operation is not possible. Not done. Completion of one cycle of ice-making mode is detected by the ice-making completion thermoswitch Th, whose contact Tha opens to stop operation of the circulation pump PM, and its contact Thb closes to operate the drive motor AM. Therefore, the ice-making water tank 7 and the water tray 8 are tilted about the axis 9 by the drive motor AM, and the switch _S1 is connected to the _b1 contact side.
The hot gas valve HV on the deicing mode section side of the electric circuit 2A is energized through the _A2 contact of _S2 to enter the deicing mode. At the same time, the remaining water in the ice making water tank 7 is drained into the drain tray 1.
0 and introduced into the stocker 4 from the residual water outlet pipe 12 via the filter 11. Thus, the switch S ₁ switches to the b ₁ contact on the timer TM ₂ side when the ice-making water tank 7 is tilted so that there is substantially no ice-making water therein. When the hot gas valve HV is opened, hot gas flows into the ice making evaporator 6 and when one cycle of deicing mode is completed, the deicing thermo switch Rh is closed and the drive motor
AM is reversed, the ice-making water tank 7 and the water tray 8 are brought to the raised position again, and the ice-making mechanism 2 enters the ice-making mode again. The ice 1 removed from the ice making chamber 5 by deicing is stored in the stocker 4.

When the time set by the timer TM ₂ is reached while repeating the cycle of the ice making mode and the de-icing mode, the switch S ₂ starts the chilled water mechanism from the a ₂ contact on the de-icing mode section side of the electric circuit 2A. Switches to the b ₂ contact on the second solenoid valve V ₂ side of the electric circuit 3A of section 3. However, as is clear from Figure 3,
Since switches S ₁ and S ₂ form an AND circuit, the actual time to enter cold water operation is when the water tray 8 reaches the lower position and switch S ₁ is connected to its b ₁ contact.

When the switch S ₁ is connected to the b ₁ contact and the switch S ₂ is connected to the b ₂ contact, the first solenoid valve V ₁ is closed, and the second solenoid valve V ₂ and the water supply solenoid valve V ₃ are opened. The refrigerant flowing through the water cooling evaporator 3b and the pipe line 21
Heat exchange is performed between the cooling water and the tap water supplied through the cooling water, and the cooling water is stored in the stocker 4.

According to the present invention, even if the timer TM ₂ reaches the set time and the switch S ₂ is switched to the chilled water mechanism side, the timing to actually switch to chilled water operation is selected when the ice making water tank 7 is tilted to the downward position. Therefore, there is no ice-making water in the ice-making water tank during cold water operation, so there is no fear of water freezing in the ice-making water tank 7 in winter. If the ice-making water cooler switches from cold water operation to ice-making operation while the water in the ice-making water tank 7 is frozen, the frozen state in the ice-making chamber 5 will be adversely affected, resulting in an unexpected situation. Furthermore, when the ice-making water tank 7 tilts downward, the hot gas valve HV opens as described above, so if the ice-making water chiller is switched to cold water operation at this time, the first solenoid valve V ₁ is opened. The refrigerant liquid no longer stagnates near the first expansion valve EV ₁ and the ice-making evaporator 6, and the refrigerant liquid is not sent to the compressor CM during the next ice-making operation, keeping the compressor CM in an optimal state. It is possible to drive.

To change the water for, for example, tofu using an ice-making water cooler equipped with such a control device, after soaking the raw beans the previous day, set the 24-hour timer TM ₂ for a predetermined time, that is, several hours before starting the water change the next day. After that, when the power switch is turned on, the ice-making water cooler alternately repeats operation in ice-making mode and de-icing mode until a predetermined time elapses, and ice is stored in the stocker. When the predetermined time is reached and the ice-making water tank and water tray reach the lower position, the ice-making water cooler automatically switches to cold water operation, and enough cooling water is stored together with the ice until the water change starts, and it continues to cool during the water change. Water is provided. Therefore, according to the present invention, by simply setting the 24-hour timer to the set time and turning the power switch on and off, it is possible to supply a large amount of cold water using an ice-making water cooler that can be installed in a relatively small space.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the ice-making water cooler according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a refrigeration circuit of the ice-making water cooler shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an electric circuit for controlling the ice-making water cooler. 2... Ice making mechanism section, 2A... First electric circuit, 3
...Cold water mechanism section, 3A...Second electric circuit, 3b...
...Water cooling evaporator, 5...Ice making compartment, 6...Ice making evaporator, 7...Ice making water tank, S ₁ ...Selector switch, S ₂ ...Switch, TM ₂ ...Timer, PM...
...circulation pump, HV...hot gas valve, _V1 ...first solenoid valve (first opening/closing means), _V2 ...second solenoid valve (second opening/closing means).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] During ice-making operation, while supplying refrigerant to the ice-making evaporator 6 provided in the ice-making compartment 5 via the first opening/closing means _V1 , ice-making water from the ice-making water tank 7 is sprayed into the ice-making compartment 5 by the circulation pump PM. an ice-making mechanism section 2 that alternately repeats an ice-making mode in which ice is made using ice-making and a de-icing mode in which hot gas is supplied to the ice-making evaporator ₆ via the hot gas valve HV; In order to control the operation of the ice-making water cooler, the first opening/closing means V ₁ and a first electric circuit 2A having an ice making mode section including the circulation pump PM and a deicing mode section including the hot gas valve HV, and causing the ice making mechanism section 2 to perform ice making operations in the ice making mode and the deicing mode; , a second electrical circuit 3A having the second opening/closing means V ₂ and causing the chilled water mechanism section 3 to perform a chilled water production operation, and an A ₂ contact connected to the deicing mode section of the first electrical circuit 2A. , and the second electric circuit 3A of the second electric circuit 3A.
a timer TM _{2 comprising a switch S 2 having} b ₂ contacts connected to a switching means V 2 and said first _electrical circuit 2;
a changeover switch S1 connected to the power supply and having _a1 contact connected to _the ice making mode section of A and a _b1 contact connected in series to _{the switch S2 ;} Switch S ₂ is the timer
When the set time of TM ₂ has elapsed, the first electric circuit 2A
The second opening/closing means of the second electrical circuit 3A is connected to the _A2 contact connected to the deicing mode section of
Switching to the b ₂ contact connected to V ₂ , the changeover switch S ₁ controls the switching of the first electric circuit 2A when the ice-making water tank 7 is tilted and there is substantially no ice-making water in it. A ₁ above on the ice making mode section side
A control device for an ice-making water chiller that switches from a contact to the _b1 contact on the switch _S2 side.