JP2004011961A - Ice making machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ice making machine suppressing the formation of cotton ice in an ice making water tank. <P>SOLUTION: In an ice making initial stage, this ice making machine 1 detects that the temperature of an ice making part 2 becomes 0°C or less by a signal from a temperature detecting means 43 detecting the temperature of the ice making part 2 and then allows a pump control means 45 to transmit a drive signal to a pump 11. Thereby, ice making water is supplied to the ice making part 2 via the pump 11 in choosing a state where the ice making part 2 is empty and becomes 0°C or less. As a result, the ice formation in the ice making part 2 is sufficiently accelerated in the ice making initial stage, so that the temperature in the ice making water tank 6 hardly becomes 0°C or less by so-called return water, ice making water returning from the ice making part 2 to the ice making water tank 6 to suppress the formation of incomplete ice (so-called cotton ice) in the ice making water tank 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ice making machine having a configuration in which ice is grown in an ice making part while circulating ice making water.
[0002]
[Prior art]
This type of ice making machine, which has been generally used in the past, cools an ice making chamber with a refrigerant flowing in an evaporating tube when a tiltable water tray closes an ice making chamber, and pumps the ice making water from a water tank. The ice making water which is continuously supplied through the water making holes is jetted from the jet holes of the water tray toward the respective ice making small chambers, and the ice is gradually grown in the ice making small chambers. Then, in a state where the ice making water in the ice making water tank has reached a predetermined water level, the ice making step is completed. Thereafter, a deicing step is started, and hot gas is supplied into an evaporating tube fixed to the ice making chamber to release ice from each ice making chamber while heating the ice making chamber. After that, the separated ice falls on the inclined water dish and is guided into the ice storage tank while sliding on the upper surface of the water dish. Further, the remaining ice on the water dish is melted by flowing the water toward the upper surface of the water dish. In this way, a series of ice making cycles is completed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional ice maker described above has the following problems. That is, at the time of ice making, the fountain is started from the injection hole of the water tray, and the ice making water in the ice making water tank returns to the ice making water tank while being cooled by the ice making room cooled by the refrigerant in the evaporation tube. come. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the ice making water in the ice making water tank temporarily becomes 0 ° C. or less in the initial stage of ice making, and this state causes incomplete ice (so-called cotton ice) to be removed from the ice making water tank. Generated by The generation of such cotton ice may hinder the circulation path of the ice making water via the pump. As a countermeasure for suppressing generation of cotton ice, there are JP-A-2000-329433 and JP-A-9-303916.
[0004]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to provide an ice making machine that suppresses the generation of cotton ice in an ice making water tank.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An ice making machine according to the present invention is an ice making machine that supplies ice making water to an ice making part and grows ice in the ice making part, wherein an ice making water tank that stores the ice making water flowing out of the ice making part and an ice making water in the ice making water tank are provided. Pump for supplying ice to the ice making section, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making section, and at the start of ice making, after detecting that the temperature of the ice making section has become 0 ° C. or less by a signal from the temperature detecting means. Pump control means for sending a drive signal to the pump.
[0006]
In this ice making machine, in the initial stage of ice making, a signal from the temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making part detects that the temperature of the ice making part has become 0 ° C. or less, and then the pump control means sends the signal to the pump. Sends a drive signal. As a result, the ice making water is supplied to the ice making unit via the pump in anticipation of the state where the ice making unit is empty and has become 0 ° C. or less. As a result, in the initial stage of ice making, freezing in the ice making part is sufficiently promoted, and the temperature in the ice making water tank becomes 0 ° C. or less due to the so-called return water, which returns from the ice making part to the ice making water tank. It is difficult to suppress the generation of incomplete ice (so-called cotton ice) in the ice making water tank.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an ice making machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0008]
As shown in FIG. 1, a fountain type ice maker 1 has an ice maker (ice maker) 2 disposed horizontally in the machine, and the ice maker 2 is provided with ice maker small chambers 3 arranged in a matrix. The ice making chamber 3 has an opening below. On the top surface of the top plate 2a forming the ice making chamber 2, an evaporating pipe 4 communicating with the refrigerating system is closely arranged in a meandering manner. Force cooling.
[0009]
On the other hand, immediately below the ice making chamber 2, a resin water tray 7 provided with an ice making water tank 6 for storing an amount of ice making water necessary and sufficient for generating ice in the ice making chamber 2 is supported by a support shaft 8. It is pivotally supported. The water tray 7 is horizontally positioned during the ice making operation, and is held in a close and parallel state so as to face the ice making chamber 2. To make the ice making chamber 3 open.
[0010]
A plurality of fountain holes 9 are provided in a top plate 7a of the water tray 7, and a large number of fountain holes 9 are formed in a matrix so as to correspond to the respective ice making chambers 3 when in the closed position described above. . Further, a distribution pipe 10 is provided on the back surface of the top plate 7a, and the above-described fountain hole 9 is formed on a piping path of the distribution pipe 10. Further, a large number of return holes (not shown) are formed in the top plate 7a of the water tray 7, and the unfreezed water (return water) which has not been frozen in the ice making chamber 3 passes through the return holes to make ice water. Collected in the tank 6. Further, a pump 11 is fixed to the ice making water tank 6 via a bracket, the bottom of the ice making water tank 6 is connected to a suction port of the pump 11 through a connection pipe 12, and a discharge port 11a of the pump 11 is connected to a water introduction pipe. 14 is connected to the pressure chamber 13 of the water tray 7. Then, the water introduction pipe 14 communicates with the distribution pipe 10 via the pressure chamber 13.
[0011]
Therefore, the ice making water in the ice making water tank 6 is pumped into the distribution pipe 10 via the pump 11, and the ice making water in the distribution pipe 10 is jetted from each of the injection holes 9 into the ice making chamber 3, thereby making each ice making water. Ice can be gradually grown on the wall surface of the small chamber 3. The non-iced water collected in the ice making water tank 6 through each return hole is returned to the distribution pipe 10 by the pump 11 again. Reference numeral 18 denotes a drain tray for receiving ice making water discharged from the tilted ice making water tank 6 after completion of ice making. Reference numeral 19 denotes a sprinkler tube for melting residual ice on the top plate 7a while draining water to the surface of the top plate 7a of the water tray 7 during deicing.
[0012]
Next, the operation of the ice maker 1 will be described based on FIG. First, when the ice making operation is started, the pump 11 is started, the ice making water is introduced into the distribution pipe 10 from the ice making water tank 6 via the pipeline, and is injected into each of the ice making chambers 3 from the fountain hole 9. You. Thereafter, the remaining water that has not become ice in the ice making chamber 3 flows down and returns to the ice making water tank 1 through the return hole of the water tray 7. And such water circulation is performed via the pump 11. In this ice making process, the electromagnetic on-off valve 31 of the hot gas bypass pipe 30 is closed, the electromagnetic on-off valve 33 provided on the liquid pipe 32 is opened, and the refrigerant flows in the direction of the solid line arrow. Therefore, the refrigerant enters the evaporating tube 4 from the compressor 34 via the condenser 35, the electromagnetic on-off valve 33, the heat exchanger 36, and the expansion valve 37, cools the ice making chamber 2, and cools the heat exchanger 36, the accumulator 38, It returns to the compressor 34.
[0013]
In the deicing process following the ice making process, the process is started when the water level in the ice making water tank 1 drops to a certain level. At that time, the deicing water circulation pump 40 is activated, and the deicing water enters the water sprinkling pipe 19 from the deicing water tank 41 connected to the external water pipe via the pipe 42, and the water sprinkling hole 19a (see FIG. 1). ) Flows into the ice making water tank 6 through the return hole while flowing down on the surface of the water tray 7. At the same time, the electromagnetic on-off valve 33 of the liquid pipe 32 is closed, the electromagnetic on-off valve 31 of the hot gas bypass pipe 30 is opened, the hot gas flows along the dashed arrow, and the hot gas in the evaporation pipe 4 The ice in the ice making compartment 3 is released. The ice dropped from the ice making chamber 3 is guided into the ice storage tank while sliding on the upper surface of the water tray 7. Further, the ice making water tank 6 is filled with deicing water. As described above, ice is stored in an ice storage tank (not shown) while the deicing process and the ice making process are alternately repeated, and when the ice is full, the ice storage detection unit in the ice storage tank detects full ice. Then, the operation of the ice making machine 1 is stopped. The deicing step may be started when the temperature of the ice making chamber 2 has dropped to a predetermined temperature. In this case, a temperature sensor (temperature detecting means) 43 described later is used.
[0014]
In such a series of ice making cycles, it is necessary to suppress the generation of incomplete ice (so-called cotton ice) in the ice making water tank 6. Therefore, a temperature sensor (temperature detecting means) 43 for detecting the temperature of the ice making chamber 2 is provided in the ice making chamber 2. For example, a bimetal thermostat or a thermistor is used as the temperature sensor 43. It is optimal that the bimetal thermometer is directly fixed to the evaporating tube 4 because it takes time for temperature detection, and that the thermistor is directly fixed to the side plate of the ice making chamber 2 because it is sensitive to temperature changes. Further, a signal from the temperature sensor 43 detects in the control device 44 of the ice making machine 1 that the temperature of the ice making room 2 has become 0 ° C. or less (preferably 0 ° C. to −10 ° C.). After that, a pump control circuit (pump control means) 45 for sending a drive signal to the pump 11 is incorporated.
[0015]
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the pump 11 is driven with a predetermined delay time T from the start of the ice making process. As a result, the ice making water is supplied into the ice making room 2 by the pump 11 in anticipation of the state where the temperature of the ice making room 2 becomes 0 ° C. or less while the ice making room 2 is empty. As a result, in the initial stage of ice making, freezing in the ice making chamber 2 is sufficiently promoted, and the ice making water (return water) returning from the ice making chamber 2 to the ice making water tank 6 reduces the temperature in the ice making water tank 6 to zero. ° C or less, and the generation of incomplete ice (so-called cotton ice) in the ice making water tank is suppressed (see FIG. 4).
[0016]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the ice maker 1 is not limited to the injection type, but may be a flow-down type. Further, the ice making section 2 is not limited to an ice making chamber having a plurality of ice making compartments arranged in a lattice, but may be a flat ice making plate having no ice making compartment.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
Since the ice maker according to the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects are obtained. That is, in the ice making machine that supplies ice making water to the ice making part and grows the ice in the ice making part, the ice making water tank that stores the ice making water flowing out of the ice making part and the ice making water in the ice making water tank are supplied to the ice making part. A pump, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making section, and a drive signal to the pump after detecting that the temperature of the ice making section has become 0 ° C. or less by a signal from the temperature detecting means at the start of ice making. By providing the pump control means for sending out, the generation of cotton ice in the ice making water tank can be appropriately suppressed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an ice making machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an entire configuration of an ice making machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing an operation state of the ice making machine shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing a change in water temperature in an ice making water tank.
FIG. 5 is a graph showing a change in water temperature in an ice making water tank in a conventional ice making machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... ice making machine, 2 ... ice making room (ice making part), 3 ... ice making small room, 6 ... ice making water tank, 11 ... pump, 43 ... temperature sensor (temperature detection means), 45 ... pump control circuit (pump control means).

Claims (1)

In an ice making machine that supplies ice making water to the ice making part and grows ice in the ice making part,
An ice making water tank for storing ice making water flowing out of the ice making section,
A pump for supplying the ice making water in the ice making water tank to the ice making unit,
Temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the ice making unit,
Pump control means for sending a drive signal to the pump after detecting that the temperature of the ice making section has become 0 ° C. or less by a signal from the temperature detection means at the start of ice making. And an ice machine.

Images