JP2005241055A - Ice making mechanism for ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To accurately discharge ice blocks from an ice making small chamber by providing a presser member which moves forward/backward in relation to inside the ice making small chamber with tilting of a water plate. <P>SOLUTION: An ice block extruding mechanism is provided with the presser member 52 having a plurality of pins 56 respectively facing to a corresponding hole part 18a in a tip thereof and connection parts 54 for connecting a rear end of each of the pins 56. The presser member 52 is held by guide holes 42a and 42a of a pair of brackets 42 and 42, in which both ends of the connection part 54 are stood on the top surface of the ice making plate 18, freely to move in the vertical direction. An interlocking member 58 connected to a corresponding end of the connection part 54 in one end thereof freely to swing and slidably connected to a corresponding cam 34 of a water plate tilting mechanism 30 in the other end thereof through a long hole 58a moves the pin 56 forward and backward in relation to the hole part 18a with a turning displacement of the cam 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making mechanism of an ice making machine. More specifically, for example, ice making water is jetted and supplied from a water tray having an ice making chamber closed to an ice making chamber having an ice making chamber that opens sideways or downward, for example. A water dish tilting mechanism for tilting the water dish in an ice making machine configured to drop and discharge the generated ice mass by tilting the water dish in a direction away from the ice making chamber. The ice making mechanism is provided with an ice lump extrusion mechanism for assisting the discharge of the ice lump from the ice making chamber.

  Spray-type automatic ice makers that continuously produce ice blocks by spraying ice-making water from below into a large number of ice-making chambers that open downward are used favorably in facilities such as coffee shops and restaurants. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11, the ice making machine includes an ice storage chamber 11 having a required shape in a substantially box-shaped housing 10 as a whole, and an interior of the housing 10. Above, an ice making mechanism 12 including an ice making chamber 16, a water tray 24, an ice making water tank 28, and the like is disposed. Specifically, an ice making chamber 16 that defines a large number of ice making chambers (not shown) that open downward is fixedly supported below a mounting frame 15 that is horizontally disposed on the top of the housing 10. An evaporation pipe (evaporator) 22 communicating with a refrigeration system (not shown) is closely and meanderingly arranged on the upper surface of the chamber 16, and the ice making chamber is forcibly cooled by circulating a refrigerant during ice making operation. A water tray 24 integrally provided with an ice making water tank 28 for storing ice making water is provided directly below the ice making chamber 16 so as to be tiltable in a cantilever manner by a pivot shaft (not shown). The ice making chamber (ice making chamber 16) is lowered from below by being biased by a water pan tilting mechanism 30 comprising an actuator motor AM, cams 34, 35, coil springs 36, 36, etc. It is configured to move between a closed position for closing and an open position for tilting downward to open the ice making chamber (ice making chamber 16). Further, a pump motor PM is attached to the outside of the bottom of the ice making water tank 28, and the ice making water sucked by the pump motor PM is discharged and supplied to the water tray 24 and pierced into the water tray 24. Each ice fountain hole (not shown) is jetted and supplied to the ice making chamber. Note that the water dish 24 shown in FIG. 10 is supported in a cantilevered manner at the left end by a pivot shaft extending in the front-rear direction of the housing 10, and the right end side tilts in the vertical direction. .

  As shown in FIG. 11, a pair of the lower surface of the mounting frame 15 adjacent to the open end (right end) opposite to the pivot side of the water dish 24 is spaced apart by a required distance in the front-rear direction of the casing 10. The bearings 31 and 31 are suspended and fixed, and a long camshaft 32 is inserted into and supported by both the bearings 31 and 31 in common. A first cam 34 is connected to the camshaft 32 at one end directed to the front, and a second cam 35 is connected to the other end directed backward. Further, a mounting member 23 formed in a U-shape that opens downward is disposed on the front surface of the mounting frame 15 so as to cover the first cam 34 from above. Further, an actuator motor AM typified by a geared motor is attached to the front surface of the mounting member 23, and the camshaft 32 is rotated forward and backward by the motor AM.

  The cams 34 and 35 are provided with arms 34a and 35a extending in the radial direction of the camshaft 32, respectively, and pins 37 and 37 projecting from respective tip portions of the arms 34a and 35a, and the water dish 24 Coil springs 36 and 36 are elastically interposed between the corresponding pins 25 and 25 projecting at both ends, and the ice tray 16 is always moved downward by pulling the water tray 24 to the horizontal closed position. From closed. The cam surfaces of both the cams 34 and 35 can come into contact with the upper surface of the water dish 24. During the deicing operation, the actuator motor AM rotates to tilt the water dish 24 downward. And the ice making chamber 16 are forcibly released.

On the front plate on which the mounting member 23 of the mounting frame 15 is disposed, a changeover switch 40 that is switched by a switching arm 34b protruding from the first cam 34 and detects the end of tilting of the water tray 24 is provided on the rear side. The toggle lever 40a that is attached to the front plate and extends forward from the front plate faces the rotation trajectory of the arm 34a and the switching arm 34b of the first cam 34. That is, when the ice making operation is finished and the operation is shifted to the deicing operation, the toggle lever 40a of the changeover switch 40 is switched by the switching arm 34b of the first cam 34 when the water tray 24 rotates by a required angle, and the actuator The motor AM is stopped and the tilting of the water tray 24 is stopped at the open position. Then, the ice blocks dropped from the ice making chamber by the deicing operation slide down on the inclined surface of the water tray 24 facing the open position, and are stored in the ice storage chamber 11. When the ice block is discharged from the ice making chamber, the actuator motor AM rotates reversely to return the water tray 24 to the closed position, and the ice making chamber is closed again from below. At this time, the toggle lever 40a of the changeover switch 40 is switched by the arm 34a of the first cam 34, the actuator motor AM is stopped, and the tilting of the water tray 24 is stopped.
JP 2002-277120 A

  By the way, the ice making mechanism 12 determines whether or not the ice lump has been released in a deicing operation by a thermistor (not shown). That is, the thermistor senses the temperature change before and after the ice block is released, and the actuator motor AM is rotated in the reverse direction. However, when the thermistor detects the set temperature and the ice block has not dropped even after a certain period of time, the water dish 24 is closed regardless of whether the ice block remains or is falling. It may end up. The ice block remaining in the ice making chamber prevents the next ice making, and the falling ice block is sandwiched between the ice making chamber 16 and the water tray 24, leading to damage to the ice making chamber 16 and the water tray 24. was there.

  Further, in the closed position of the water tray 24, a slight gap is formed between the ice making chamber 16 and the water dish 24, and an ice layer is generated in the gap to connect the ice blocks. Yes. In this way, by forming individual ice blocks by connecting and integrating the individual ice blocks, it is possible to synchronize the discharge timing of each ice block made in each ice making chamber in the deicing operation. However, the hot gas supplied to the evaporation pipe 22 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making chamber 16 during the deicing operation is heated with the ice making chamber 16 from the inlet side to the outlet side of the evaporation pipe 22. The temperature drops due to the exchange, and the degree of melting of the ice block differs depending on the position of the ice making chamber, and the problem that the ice block group is not released at the same timing is pointed out. That is, if the ice block group is not released at the same timing, the inclined ice block group is caught between the ice making chamber 16 and the water dish 24 and does not fall into the ice storage chamber 11 well. In particular, when the discharge of the ice mass group starts from the ice making chamber located on the pivot side of the water dish 24, the end of the ice mass group that has fallen in advance falls into a narrow area on the pivot end side of the water dish 24. The possibility of being caught between the ice making chamber 16 and the water tray 24 increases. Further, even when the ambient temperature of the ice making chamber 16 is different, the timing of ice lump discharge varies, and stable deicing operation cannot be expected. Therefore, it is difficult to increase ice making efficiency.

  Further, a plating film is formed on the outer surface of the ice making chamber 16 to enhance corrosion resistance, and ice blocks are easily peeled off from the outer surface of the ice making chamber 16. This plating film has a rough outer surface due to deformation of the ice making chamber 16 itself over time, repeated freezing and peeling of ice blocks, temperature differences between ice making and deicing, etc. There is. As described above, when the outer surface of the ice making chamber 16 becomes rough, the surface tension and frictional force are increased although the icing surface between the ice block and the ice making chamber is melted by the circulation of hot gas. As a result, there is a problem that ice blocks are difficult to be released from the ice making chamber.

  That is, the present invention has been proposed in order to suitably solve these problems inherent in the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the prior art, and is provided within the ice making chamber in conjunction with the tilting of the water dish. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice making mechanism of an ice making machine that is provided with a pressing member that advances and retreats toward the direction, and that can reliably discharge ice blocks from the ice making chamber.

In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the present invention includes:
An ice making chamber opened on one side of the ice making plate on the side away from the ice making plate, and an ice making chamber provided with an evaporator on the other side, and pivotally supported facing the opening of the ice making chamber A closed position for closing the ice making chamber by the water dish tilting mechanism, and an open position for tilting away from the ice making chamber to open the ice making chamber and allowing the ice blocks generated in the ice making chamber to be discharged. In the ice making mechanism of an ice making machine consisting of a moving water dish,
A pressing member that is drilled in the ice making plate and communicates with the ice making chamber, the front end of the pressing member facing forward and backward from the other side;
In conjunction with the water dish tilting mechanism, an ice block pushing mechanism comprising an interlocking member that advances and retreats between a standby position where the tip of the pressing member aligns with the hole and a pushing position protruding inward of the ice making chamber. ,
As the water dish tilts from the closed position to the open position by the water dish tilting mechanism, the interlocking member moves the pressing member from the standby position to the pushing position, so that ice blocks generated in the ice making chamber are generated. It is characterized in that it is configured to press.

  According to the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the present invention, by providing an ice block pushing mechanism for assisting the discharge of the ice block generated in the ice making chamber, the ice block in the ice making chamber is pressed by the pressing member as the water dish tilts. Since it is reliably discharged, it is possible to prevent an ice lump from being caught between the ice making chamber and the water tray due to defective discharge, and to avoid breakage of the ice making chamber or water tray. Further, even if the icing state between the ice making chamber and the ice block is not completely released, the ice block is pushed out by the entry of the pressing member into the ice making chamber and the ice block is released, thereby reducing the deicing time. be able to. In addition, by adjusting the timing of pressing by the pressing member, ice blocks can be discharged from the ice making chamber at almost the same timing regardless of the ambient temperature, so it is possible to suppress variations in deicing time due to variations in ambient temperature. It becomes. Therefore, there is a merit that the ice making capacity is improved by shortening the deicing time, so that more ice blocks can be generated per hour. Furthermore, as the deicing time is shortened, the hot gas flow time is also shortened, so excessive temperature rise in the refrigeration circuit and ice making chamber can be suppressed, and thermal shock caused by the temperature difference between ice making and deicing. It is possible to extend the life of the anti-corrosion plating of tin or the like applied to the ice making chamber body and the surface of the ice making chamber.

  The invention according to claim 2 is a configuration in which the pivoting displacement of the water pan tilting mechanism is converted into the forward / backward movement with respect to the hole portion of the pressing member by the interlocking member, and the water pan tilting is performed through the long hole provided in the interlocking member. Since it is connected with the cam of the mechanism, the timing of the forward and backward movement of the pressing member can be set by adjusting the length of the long hole. The invention according to claim 3 is a configuration in which the pressing member is moved forward and backward with respect to the hole portion by pressing the pressing member with the interlocking member as the water pan tilting mechanism rotates, and the interlocking member is pressed by the interlocking member. By adjusting the timing of contact with the member, the timing of the advancing / retreating movement of the pressing member can be set. That is, in the invention of claim 2 or claim 3, the icing surface is melted by setting the displacement of the pressing member accompanying the tilting of the water pan so as to start after the lapse of the required time after the hot gas is supplied. Thus, since the pressing force can be applied in a state where the ice block is easily released, there is an advantage that an increase in the load on the actuator motor can be suppressed. Furthermore, in the invention according to claim 4, by forming a hole in a portion of the ice making plate close to the open end side of the water tray, in particular, ice blocks generated in a plurality of ice making chambers are integrated as an ice block group. When discharging or generating a plate-shaped ice block, the end of the ice block that is the leading side of the drop of the ice block can be pressed, so the ice block is always released from the tip side. In other words, it is possible to suppress a discharge failure such as an ice block group being caught between the water tray and the ice making chamber.

  Next, the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of preferred embodiments. Note that the ice making mechanism of the embodiment is configured to include an ice block pushing mechanism that assists the ice block discharge in conjunction with the tilting of the water dish in the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine described in the conventional example. The same components as those of the ice making mechanism shown in FIG. 10 or FIG. 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted, and only different portions are described. Also, in the ice making mechanism, the side on which the actuator motor is installed is the front side, and the water pan is pivotally supported at the left end by a pivot that extends in the front-rear direction of the housing, and the right end tilts up and down. It is supposed to be.

  As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, the ice making mechanism 13 of the ice making machine according to the first embodiment has partition plates 20 arranged vertically and horizontally on the lower surface (one surface) of an ice making plate 18 disposed horizontally in the ice storage chamber 11. The ice making chamber 16 having a plurality of ice making chambers 21 opening downward (side away from the ice making plate 18) is defined in a grid pattern, and the upper surface (other surface) of the ice making plate 18 is arranged in a meandering manner. Further, an evaporator tube (evaporator) 22 through which refrigerant or hot gas coming from a refrigeration system (not shown) flows, and the ice making chamber 16 are disposed below (on the side facing the opening of the ice making chamber 21). Is basically composed of a water tray 24 that can be tilted to a closed position that closes the ice tray 21 and an open position that opens the ice making chamber 21, and a water tray tilting mechanism 30 that tilts the water tray 24 up and down. In the ice making operation, the ice making chamber 16 is forcibly cooled by the refrigerant supplied to the evaporation pipe 22, and the ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 28 is pumped to the water tray 24 by the pump motor PM, and the water Ice making water sprayed and supplied from the fountain hole 26 of the dish 24 to the ice making chamber 21 is frozen to generate ice blocks in the ice making chamber 21 (see FIG. 1). In the deicing operation, the water dish 24 is tilted downward by the water dish tilting mechanism 30 around the pivot shaft 29 provided at the left end of the water dish 24 to open the ice making chamber 21. The ice making chamber 16 is heated by the hot gas supplied to the evaporator tube 22 to melt the icing surface between the ice making chamber 21 and the ice block, and the ice block is dropped by its own weight (see FIG. 2). . In Example 1, a small gap is formed between the ice making chamber 16 and the water tray 24, an ice layer is generated in the gap, and the lower end of the ice block is connected by this ice layer, and the ice block group is formed. Configured to release as.

  The ice making mechanism 13 assists the discharge of the ice block from the ice making chamber 21 by pressing the ice block generated in the ice making chamber 21 by the pressing member 52 interlocked with the water tray tilting mechanism 30 that tilts the water tray 24. An ice lump extrusion mechanism 50 is provided. The ice lump extruding mechanism 50 includes a pressing member 52 having a plurality of pins 56 facing front ends corresponding to holes 18a described later of the ice making plate 18 and a connecting portion 54 connecting the rear ends of the pins 56, and the ice making unit. On the upper surface (other surface) of the plate 18, it is erected apart in the front-rear direction (axial direction of the pivot shaft 29 of the water tray 24), and the guide holes 42a and 42a hold both ends of the connecting portion 54 so as to be vertically movable. A pair of brackets 42 and 42, and a long hole 58a extending along the longitudinal direction, one end of which is swingably connected to the corresponding end of the connecting portion 54, and the other end of the water dish tilting mechanism 30. The corresponding members 58, 35 are slidably connected to the corresponding cams 34, 35 through long holes 58a, and the pins 56 are moved forward and backward relative to the holes 18a in accordance with the rotational displacement of the cams 34, 35. 58.

  The hole 18 a is formed in the ice making plate 18 so as to communicate with the ice making chamber 21 corresponding to the ice making chamber 21 close to the open end side (right end portion) of the water tray 24 in the ice making plate 18. Yes. That is, in the ice making chamber 16 of the first embodiment, since a plurality of ice making chambers 21 are defined in a grid pattern, a plurality of the holes 18 a are formed in the ice making plate 18. Each hole 18a is formed at a position where it is not blocked by the evaporation pipe 22 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making plate 18. Further, a straight line connecting the plurality of hole portions 18a in the front-rear direction extends in parallel with the right end portion of the ice making plate 18. On the top surface of the ice making plate 18, brackets 42 and 42 are erected on front and rear edges on the extended line of the hole group. The brackets 42 and 42 are respectively provided with guide holes 42a and 42a whose longitudinal sides extend in the vertical direction, and the guide holes 42a and 42a face each other. In addition, refrigerant and hot gas are supplied from the pivot side (left end portion) of the water tray 24 to the evaporation pipe 22 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making chamber 16, and the open end of the water tray 24 is opened. The side (right end) is downstream of the refrigerant and hot gas circulating in the evaporation pipe 22.

  The pressing member 52 includes a bar-like connecting portion 54 that extends in the front-rear direction above the ice making plate 18 and a plurality of pins 56 that are suspended from the lower surface of the connecting portion 54 and correspond to the hole 18a. It consists of. The pressing member 52 is held at both ends of the connecting portion 54 in a guide hole 42a, 42a of a pair of brackets 42, 42 erected on the front and rear edges of the ice making plate 18 so as to be vertically movable. ing. That is, the connecting portion 54 is positioned above a straight line connecting the plurality of holes 18a in the front-rear direction, and the pin 56 is positioned at the upper ends of the guide holes 42a, 42a of the brackets 42, 42. In this case, the tip of the pin 56 extending from the lower surface of the connecting portion 54 is set to a dimension that can be aligned with the hole portion 18a. In the closing position of the water tray 24, the pressing member 52 is positioned at the upper end of the guide holes 42a and 42a, and the pin 56 is aligned with the hole 18a so that the hole 18a is not in the closed position. The end face of the pin 56 faces a standby position (a position that does not protrude inward of the ice making chamber 21) that becomes a part of the wall surface of the ice making plate 18 that defines the upper surface of the ice making chamber 21 (FIG. 1 or FIG. 4). reference). The pin 56 is set to approximately the same size as the hole diameter of the hole 18a, and the pin 56 facing the hole 18a functions in close contact with the hole 18a to prevent leakage of ice making water. And in the open position of the water tray 24, the connecting portion 54 of the pressing member 52 is positioned at the lower end of the guide holes 42a, 42a, and the pin 56 enters the ice making chamber 21 through the hole 18a, The front end faces an extrusion position protruding inward of the ice making chamber 21 so that the ice block generated inside can be pressed (see FIG. 2).

  The interlocking member 58 is a rectangular plate-like body, and is arranged symmetrically corresponding to the front and rear ends of the connecting portion 54 in the pressing member 52, and is a first cam located on the front end side and the front side of the connecting portion 54. 34, and the rear end portion of the connecting portion 54 and the second cam 35 located on the rear side are connected. That is, one end of each interlocking member 58 is swingably connected to the end of the corresponding connecting portion 54 that passes through the guide hole 42a of the bracket 42 and faces outward, and is formed on the other end side. The connecting pin 60 provided on the surface facing the inner side of the corresponding cam 34, 35 is slidably fitted in the long hole 58a extending along the longitudinal direction. The connection pins 60, 60 are provided at positions deviated from the rotation centers of the cams 34, 35, whereby the interlocking member 58 is moved up and down by the rotation of the cams 34, 35, and the pressing member 52 is moved. Is configured to move forward and backward with respect to the hole 18a. That is, when the connection pin 60 comes into contact with the upper end of the long hole 58a in the interlocking member 58, the pin 56 of the pressing member 52 moves upward, and the connection pin 60 comes into contact with the lower end of the long hole 58a. The pin 56 is moved downward.

  The connection end of the interlocking member 58 with the connecting portion 54 of the pressing member 52 is connected so that the interlocking member 58 can rotate in the circumferential direction of the connecting portion 54, and the interlocking member accompanying the rotational displacement of the cams 34, 35. 58 is allowed to move, and the vertical movement of the interlocking member 58 due to the rotational displacement can be transmitted to the pressing member 52. Further, the connection end of the interlocking member 58 with the cams 34 and 35 is fitted with the connection pin 60 in the long hole 58a. When the cams 34 and 35 are rotated, the connection pin 60 is along the long hole 58a. To slide. In consideration of the rotation speed of the actuator motor AM, the melting state of the icing surface by the hot gas circulating in the evaporation pipe 22, the interlocking member 58 is the length of the interlocking member 58 itself and the longitudinal dimension of the long hole 58a. Is adjusted to set the timing for moving the pressing member 52 forward and backward.

[Operation of Example 1]
Next, the operation of the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the first embodiment will be described. During the ice making operation, the ice making chamber 16 is closed by the water tray 24, the refrigerant is supplied to the evaporation pipe 22, the ice making chamber 16 is cooled, and the ice making chamber 16 is sprayed and supplied from the fountain hole 26 of the water tray 24. The ice making water freezes in layers in the ice making chamber 21. In the closed position of the water tray 24, the pressing member 52 is pushed up by the connecting portion 54 by the interlocking members 58 and 58 connected to the cams 34 and 35, and the tip of the pin 56 closes the corresponding hole 18a. (See FIG. 5 (a)). That is, each connection pin 60 of the cams 34 and 35 connected to the long hole 58a of the interlocking member 58 is in contact with the end (upper end) of the long hole 58a on the connection end side with the connecting portion 54, By pushing up the interlocking member 58, the connecting portion 54 is held at the upper end of the guide hole 42 a in the bracket 42. Here, in the closed position of the water tray 24, the hole 18a is blocked by the tip of the pin 56, so that the ice making water sprayed and supplied to the ice making chamber 21 is made through the hole 18a. There is no leakage to the upper surface of the chamber 16.

  When ice blocks are generated in the ice making chamber 21, the operation is switched to the deicing operation. When the actuator motor AM is driven and the cams 34 and 35 fixed to the camshaft 32 connected to the actuator motor AM start to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 5, the refrigeration system valve is switched and hot. Gas is supplied to the evaporation pipe 22 to heat the ice making chamber 16, and the icing surface between the ice making chamber 16 and the ice block begins to melt. Further, the water dish 24 and the ice block are separated by being pressed by the cams 34 and 35, and the water dish 24 starts to tilt downward with the pivot shaft 29 as the center of tilting. The pin 56 is aligned with the hole 18a to become the wall surface of the ice making plate 18 and freezes with the generated ice block, but the frozen state of both is released by the action of the hot gas.

  As the cams 34 and 35 rotate, the interlocking members 58 and 58 swing around the connecting end with the connecting portion 54 and the connecting end side with the cams 34 and 35 swings. By allowing the movement of the corresponding connection pin 60 along the axis, the rotational displacement of the cams 34 and 35 is not hindered. That is, in the initial stage of the deicing operation, the rotational displacements of the connection pins 60 and 60 of the cams 34 and 35 are absorbed by the long holes 58a and 58a of the interlocking members 58 and 58, so that the interlocking members 58 and 58 are It only swings about the connecting portion 54 and does not transmit force to the pressing member 52 (see FIG. 5B). At this time, since the front end surface of the pin 56 of the pressing member 52 is the wall surface of the ice making chamber 21, the front end surface of the pin 56 after completion of the ice making operation is in contact with an ice block, and the connecting portion 54 Is held at the upper end of the guide hole 42a in the bracket 42.

  When the connecting pins 60, 60 of the cams 34, 35 come into contact with the end portions (lower ends) of the long holes 58a, 58a of the interlocking members 58, 58 on the side away from the connecting ends of the connecting portions 54, The members 58 and 58 are pulled downward by the connection pins 60. The interlocking members 58, 58 pull the connecting portion 54 of the pressing member 52 downward, and the pin 56 projects inward of the ice making chamber 21 from the hole 18a as the connecting portion 54 is displaced downward. Moving to the extrusion position, a pressing force is applied to the ice blocks generated in the ice making chamber 21 (see FIG. 5C). Thereafter, the switching arm 34b of the cams 34 and 35 is stopped by switching the toggle lever 40a of the switching switch 40, and the open end (left end portion) of the water tray 24 is supported by the coil springs 36 and 36. In this state, the lower part of the ice making chamber 16 is opened to allow the ice block to be released. That is, the ice block group pressed by the pin 56 is pushed out of the ice making chamber 21, slides down the upper surface of the open water tray 24, and is released and stored in the ice storage chamber 11.

  When a thermistor (not shown) detects the set temperature, it is determined that the discharge of the ice blocks has been completed, and the actuator motor AM rotates in the reverse direction so that the water tray 24 in the open position closes the ice making chamber 16 (upward ). The interlocking member 58 operates in the opposite direction to the above-described movement, and when the water tray 24 reaches the closed position, the pressing member 52 is displaced upward, and the pin 56 is inward of the ice making chamber 21. Evacuate and return to the standby position to prepare for the next ice making operation.

  Thus, by providing the ice block pushing mechanism 50 that assists the discharge of the ice block during the deicing operation, the ice making is performed by the pin 56 of the ice block pushing mechanism 50 in conjunction with the operation of the water plate tilting mechanism 30 that tilts the water plate 24. The ice block generated in the small chamber 21 can be pressed and reliably discharged. That is, not only the action of releasing the icing state with the ice making chamber 16 by the heating action of the hot gas, but also the pin 56 is inserted into the ice making small chamber 21 through the hole 18a, thereby pressing the ice block group and icing state. Since the ice blocks are separated from the ice making chamber 21, the certainty of discharge can be further improved. Accordingly, when a thermistor or the like detects completion of deicing and closes the water tray 24, the ice making chamber is formed by the ice blocks that are falling from the ice making chamber 21 being sandwiched between the ice making chamber 16 and the water tray 24. It is possible to avoid the failure of ice making or the like due to breakage of 16 or the water dish 24 or the ice lump remaining in the ice making chamber 21.

  Even if the icing state between the ice making chamber 16 and the ice block group is not completely released, the ice block group is pushed out by the entry of the pin 56 of the pressing member 52 into the ice making chamber 21, and the ice block group is formed. Since it is released, the deicing time can be shortened. In addition, by adjusting the timing of pressing by the pressing member 52, the ice block group can be discharged from the ice making chamber 21 at substantially the same timing regardless of the ambient temperature. It becomes possible to suppress. Therefore, there is a merit that the ice making capacity is improved by shortening the deicing time, so that more ice blocks can be generated per hour.

  Moreover, since the time for circulating hot gas to the evaporation pipe 22 is shortened by shortening the deicing time, an excessive temperature rise in the refrigeration circuit, particularly the ice making chamber 16, is suppressed, and the ice making and deicing times are suppressed. Thermal shock caused by temperature difference can be reduced. That is, the thermal load on the plating film made of tin or the like applied to the outer surface of the ice making chamber 16 is suppressed, so that the life of the plating film can be extended, and as a result, the anti-corrosion action is maintained for a long time. Can improve the service life.

  The ice lump extruding mechanism 50 is configured to move the pressing member 52 forward and backward relative to the hole 18a in conjunction with the cams 34 and 35 for tilting the water dish 24, so that it is necessary to provide a separate driving means. In addition, an increase in cost due to the addition of the ice lump extrusion mechanism 50 can be minimized.

  In the first embodiment, the interlocking member 58 and the cams 34 and 35 are connected to each other via a long hole 58a formed in the interlocking member 58, so that the water tray 24 in the closed position is moved to the open position. The rotational displacements of the cams 34 and 35 that are rotated by starting the motor AM are not immediately transmitted to the pressing member 52. That is, if the pressing member 52 is set to move downward simultaneously with the rotation of the actuator motor AM, the ice making chamber 16 and the ice icing surface of the ice lump are not sufficiently melted by the hot gas, and both of them freeze strongly. Therefore, an excessive load is applied to the actuator motor AM. However, since the ice lump extruding mechanism 50 is set so that the pressing force by the pressing member 52 is applied after the required time has elapsed since the hot gas was supplied, the ice surface is melted and the ice lump is easily released. In this state, the pin 56 is pressed. Therefore, an increase in load on the actuator motor AM due to the provision of the ice lump extrusion mechanism 50 can be suppressed. When ice making is completed, the hot gas supply timing is made earlier than the timing at which the actuator motor AM is started (or the start of the actuator motor AM is delayed), or the water tray 24 reaches the open position from the closed position. By adjusting the time required for the descent until the ice plate 24 is extended and delaying the timing at which the pressing member 52 interlocked with the water dish 24 starts to push the ice block, the frozen state between the ice block and the ice making chamber 16 is surely weakened. You may make it the press member 52 begin to push ice at the timing which became.

  The hole 18a is perforated at a site close to the right end corresponding to the open end of the water dish 24, and the water plate in the ice block group is formed by the pressing member 52 disposed corresponding to the hole 18a. The detachment starts from the ice making chamber 21 in advance from the open end side of 24. In particular, when the ice blocks generated in each ice making chamber 21 are connected and released as an ice block group, the ice block group is detached from the ice making chamber 21 in advance from the open end side of the water dish 24, thereby the ice making chamber 16. The ice block group is not sandwiched between the water dish 24 and the ice plate group, so that the discharge failure of the ice block group can be avoided.

  The temperature of the hot gas supplied to the evaporation pipe 22 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making chamber 16 decreases due to heat exchange with the ice making chamber 16 from the inlet side to the outlet side of the evaporation pipe 22. May end up. That is, by setting the position of the hole 18a and the pressing member 52 corresponding to the hole 18a on the downstream side in the hot gas flow direction, the ice block located on the downstream side in the hot gas flow direction Since the ice block is pressed by the pressing member 52 in the ice making chamber 21 that is slowly melted, the ice block can be prevented from being bitten in accordance with the timing of the ice block discharge, and the deicing time can be shortened.

  Next, the ice block extrusion mechanism according to the second embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the basic configuration of the ice making mechanism 14 and the configuration of the hole 18a formed in the ice making plate 18 are substantially the same as the configurations described in the conventional example and the first embodiment. The description is omitted using the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 6 or FIG. 7, the ice lump extruding mechanism 70 according to the second embodiment includes a pressing member 72 disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat in correspondence with a hole 18a formed in the ice making plate 18, a water member It is basically composed of a cam member (interlocking member) 78 that presses the pressing member 72 in a direction protruding inward of the ice making chamber 21 from the hole 18a in conjunction with the dish tilting mechanism 30.

  The pressing member 72 includes a connecting portion 74 that extends in the front-rear direction above the ice making plate 18, a plurality of pins 76 that are suspended from the lower surface of the connecting portion 74 and correspond to the holes 18a, and The elastic member 80 is inserted into the pin 76 and elastically interposed between the connecting portion 74 and the ice making plate 18. The rear end of the pin 76 is connected by the connecting portion 74, the tip is aligned with the hole 18a, and the elastic member 80 supports the connecting portion 74 so that it can move up and down (see FIG. 8). ). The connecting portion 74 is a plate-like body and is located above a straight line connecting the plurality of hole portions 18a in the front-rear direction. The pin 76 is in a normal state of the elastic member 80 (the elastic member 80 is loaded). In such a state, the tip is set to a dimension that can be aligned with the hole 18a. That is, in the closed position of the water tray 24, the pressing member 72 is configured such that the pin 76 is aligned with the hole 18 a and closes the hole 18 a, and the tip surface of the pin 76 covers the upper surface of the ice making chamber 21. It faces a standby position that becomes a part of the wall surface of the ice making plate 18 to be defined (see FIG. 6 or 8). The pin 76 is set to approximately the same diameter as the hole diameter of the hole 18a, and the pin 76 facing the hole 18a functions in close contact with the hole 18a to prevent leakage of ice making water. . On the other hand, in the open position of the water tray 24, the pressing member 72 is pressed by a connecting member 74 by a cam member 78 described later, so that the pin 56 enters the ice making chamber 21, and the tip of the pressing member 72 is the ice making chamber 21. It faces the push-out position protruding inward and can press the ice block generated inside (see FIG. 7).

  A pair of cam members 78 and 78 are disposed on the camshaft 32, and the cam members 78 and 78 are disposed close to the pair of bearings 31 and 31 that hold the camshaft 32, respectively. The cam member 78 includes an arm portion 78 a that extends outward in the radial direction of the cam shaft 32, and rotates integrally with the cam shaft 32. The arm portion 78a of the cam member 78 is positioned so that the tip of the arm portion 78a is spaced apart from the pressing member 72 in the closed position of the water dish 24, and the rotation locus formed by the tip of the arm portion 78a is It intersects with the connecting portion 74 of the member 72. That is, when the water tray 24 tilts toward the open position, the cam member 78 rotates with the rotational displacement of the cam shaft 32, and the arm portion 78 a comes into contact with the connecting portion 74. Yes. When the water tray 24 reaches the open position, the arm portion 78a presses the pressing member 72 downward against the elastic member 80, and the pin 76 is moved inward of the ice making chamber 21 from the hole 18a. Let it face the extrusion position protruding to As described above, the cam members 78 and 78 function to convert the rotational displacement of the cam shaft 32 into the forward and backward movement of the pressing member 72 with respect to the hole 18a when the water tray 24 is tilted. Here, the pressing member 72 is adjusted by adjusting the distance or time from the position of the arm portion 78 a in the closed position of the water tray 24 until the arm portion 78 a comes into contact with the connecting portion 74 of the pressing member 72. The timing for moving the valve forward and backward relative to the hole 18a can be varied.

[Operation of Example 2]
Next, the operation of the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to the second embodiment will be described. Since the operation by the pressing member and the hole is the same as that described in the first embodiment, the ice lump pressing mechanism of the second embodiment is adopted. Only the action that occurs will be described. In the closed position of the water tray 24, the pressing member 72 is held in a standby position in which the connecting portion 74 is pushed up by the elastic member 80 and the tip of the pin 76 closes the corresponding hole 18a ( (See FIG. 9 (a)). In the closed position of the water tray 24, the hole 18a is blocked by the tip of the pin 76, so that the ice making water sprayed and supplied to the ice making chamber 21 is passed through the hole 18a. There is no leakage to the upper surface of 16.

  When ice blocks are generated in the ice making chamber 21, the operation is switched to the deicing operation, and the cam members 78, 78 are centered on the axis of the camshaft 32 as the camshaft 32 is rotated by starting the actuator motor AM. Rotate. That is, in the initial stage of the deicing operation, the arm portion 78a of the cam member 78 extends away from the pressing member 72, so that no pressing force is applied to the pressing member 72 (see FIG. 9B). ).

  When the arm portions 78a and 78a of the cam members 78 and 78 come into contact with the connecting portion 74 of the pressing member 72, the pressing member 72 is pushed downward while compressing the elastic member 80, and the connecting portion 74 is displaced downward. Along with this, the pin 76 protrudes inward from the ice making chamber 21 through the hole 18a, and a pressing force is applied to the ice block generated in the ice making chamber 21 (see FIG. 9C). Thus, as the water dish 24 tilts, the pressing member 72 is displaced downward, and the pin 76 protrudes inward of the ice making chamber 21 to push out the ice block, thereby removing the ice block group from the ice making chamber 21. The ice storage chamber 11 is surely dropped and released.

  Then, when a thermistor (not shown) detects the set temperature, it is determined that the discharge of the ice block has been completed, the actuator motor AM rotates in the reverse direction, and the water tray 24 at the open position closes the ice making chamber 16 ( Tilt upward). As the arm portion 78a of the cam member 78 rotates in a direction away from the connecting portion 74, the pressing of the pressing member 72 by the arm portion 78a is released, and the pressing member 72 is connected to the elastic member 80. Due to the elastic return action, the pin 76 is displaced upward from the inside of the ice making chamber 21 and returns to the standby position to prepare for the next ice making operation.

  The ice lump extruding mechanism 70 moves the pressing member 72 forward and backward with respect to the hole 18a by the cam members 78 and 78 interlocked with the cam shaft 32 rotated by the actuator motor AM for tilting the water dish 24. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate driving means, and the configuration is further simplified as compared with the first embodiment. Therefore, an increase in cost due to the addition of the ice lump extrusion mechanism 70 is minimized. Can do.

[Example of change]
In the first or second embodiment, an ice block pushing mechanism is added to a horizontal ice making mechanism that is openable and closable by a water tray 24 disposed below a ice making chamber 16 having an ice making small chamber 21 that opens downward. Although described, the present invention is not limited to this, and an ice lump extrusion mechanism is added to a vertical ice making mechanism that is openable and closable with a water tray provided on the side of an ice making chamber that has an ice making chamber that opens laterally. It may be. Note that the ice making chamber may be arranged such that the opening of the ice making chamber faces obliquely downward. The hole 18a is formed in the ice making plate 18 in correspondence with the ice making chambers 21 located on the same straight line in the front-rear direction. However, all the ice making chambers are particularly suitable as long as they can press the ice block group evenly. It is not necessary to provide the hole 18a in 21. Furthermore, although the structure which connects the ice blocks made in the said ice making chamber 21 mutually and discharge | releases them as an ice block group was demonstrated, this invention is applicable also to the structure which discharge | releases each ice block. At this time, holes 18 a are provided corresponding to all the ice making chambers 21, and individual ice blocks are pressed in conjunction with the tilting of the water tray 24 by a pressing member provided with pins corresponding to the holes 18 a.

It is a side view which partially cuts out the ice making mechanism which concerns on suitable Example 1 of this invention in the closed position state of a water tray. It is a side view which cuts out the ice making mechanism of Example 1 partially in the open position state of the water tray. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of an ice making mechanism of Example 1. FIG. It is a front view which shows the deicing process of the ice making mechanism of Example 1, Comprising: (a) is the closing position of a water tray, (b) is in the middle of opening of a water dish, (c) shows the opening position of a water dish. . It is a side view which partially cuts out the ice making mechanism which concerns on suitable Example 2 of this invention in the closed position state of a water tray. It is a side view which partially cuts out the ice making mechanism of Example 2 in the open position state of a water tray. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of an ice making mechanism according to a second embodiment. It is a BB sectional view of Drawing 6, (a) shows a closed position of a water dish, (b) shows the middle of opening of a water dish, and (c) shows an open position of a water dish. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the ice making mechanism of the conventional ice making machine. It is a side view which cuts and shows a part of ice making mechanism of the conventional ice making machine.

Explanation of symbols

16 ice making chamber, 18 ice making plate, 18a hole, 21 ice making chamber, 22 evaporation pipe (evaporator),
24 water dish, 29 pivot shaft, 30 water dish tilting mechanism, 34 first cam (cam),
35 Second cam (cam), 42 Bracket, 42a Guide hole, 50 Ice block extrusion mechanism,
52 pressing member, 54 connecting part, 56 pin, 58 interlocking member, 58a long hole,
60 connection pin, 70 ice block extrusion mechanism, 72 pressing member, 74 connecting part, 76 pin,
78 Cam member (interlocking member), 80 Elastic member

Claims (4)

An ice making chamber (16) having an ice making chamber (21) opened on one side of the ice making plate (18) on the side away from the ice making plate (18) and an evaporator (22) arranged on the other side And a tilting position that is pivotably supported facing the opening of the ice making chamber (21), and closes the ice making chamber (21) by the water dish tilting mechanism (30) and a direction away from the ice making chamber (16). In the ice making mechanism of the ice making machine comprising the water dish (24) that moves to the open position that allows the ice making chamber (21) to be released, the ice making chamber (21) is released, and the ice making chamber (21) is released.
A pressing member (52, 72) whose front end is allowed to advance and retreat from the other side in a hole (18a) drilled in the ice making plate (18) and communicating with the ice making chamber (21),
In conjunction with the water dish tilting mechanism (30), a standby position where the tip of the pressing member (52, 72) is aligned with the hole (18a) and an extrusion position protruding inward of the ice making chamber (21). It has an ice block extrusion mechanism (50, 70) consisting of interlocking members (58, 78) that move forward and backward,
As the water pan (24) is tilted from the closed position to the open position by the water pan tilt mechanism (30), the interlocking member (58, 78) moves the pressing member (52, 72) from the standby position. An ice making mechanism of an ice making machine, wherein the ice making machine is configured to press the ice block generated in the ice making chamber (21) by being moved to an extrusion position. The ice block extrusion mechanism (50)
Corresponding to a plurality of holes (18a) perforated in the ice making plate (18), there are a plurality of pins (56) facing the tip, and the rear ends of these pins (56) are connected by a connecting portion (54) Pressed member (52),
On the other surface of the ice making plate (18), the water tray (24) is vertically spaced apart in the axial direction of the pivot shaft (29), and guide holes (42a, 42a) are provided at both ends of the connecting portion (54). A pair of brackets (42, 42) that can be moved close to and away from the other surface;
One end is swingably connected to a corresponding end of the coupling portion (54), and the water pan tilting mechanism (30a) is inserted into a long hole (58a) formed on the other end side and extending along the longitudinal direction. A connecting pin (60) provided on the cam (34, 35) of the slidable engagement member (58),
The connection pin (60) abuts the end of the long hole (58a) in accordance with the rotational displacement of the cam (34, 35) that is rotated by the operation of the water dish tilting mechanism (30). The ice making mechanism of an ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the pin (56) is configured to move forward and backward relative to the hole (18a). The ice mass extrusion mechanism (70)
A plurality of pins (76) whose tips face corresponding to the plurality of holes (18a) drilled in the ice making plate (18), and a connecting portion (74) for connecting the rear ends of these pins (76) A pressing member (72) consisting of an elastic member (80) that is elastically interposed between the connecting portion (74) and the ice making plate (18) and always holds the pin (76) in a standby position. Prepared,
The interlocking member (78) disposed in the water pan tilting mechanism (30) has the connecting portion (74) against the elastic member (80) with the rotational displacement of the water pan tilting mechanism (30). The ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the pin (76) is moved to the pushing position by pressing the pin. The ice making mechanism of the ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hole (18a) is formed in a portion of the ice making plate (18) adjacent to the open end side of the water dish (24). .

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