JP4877659B2 - Ice making equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice making device that is mounted and used in a refrigerator.

  Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, ice making of transparent water in a home refrigerator is performed by supplying water to an ice tray and then swinging the ice tray so that bubbles generated due to freezing of water are mixed into the ice. The method of making ice using water from which dissolved gas such as air was degassed before preventing or making ice was used.

  Also, in order to prevent not only air bubbles but also hardness ion components such as calcium ions from precipitating in the ice and becoming cloudy, commercial ice stores have the ice tray opening down to freeze the ice. A method of supplying water in the form of a fountain and gradually freezing from the side of the ice making container has been employed (Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, there was a method of growing a single crystal following natural ice cubes.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-232587 JP 2006-317079 A

  Conventionally, a major problem in transparent ice making by the method shown in Patent Document 1 is that bubbles generated during freezing are taken into ice and an opaque region is generated, so that the ice making speed cannot be increased. Furthermore, it becomes necessary to make ice as slowly as possible because it becomes opaque due to precipitation of the hardness ion component itself existing in well water and mineral water having high hardness. General tap water contains about 15 to 30 ppm of hardness ion components and about 20 ppm of dissolved gas. When water freezes to become ice, it becomes transparent without being taken into the crystal due to the balance between the interface movement speed at the solid-liquid interface of ice and water and the diffusion speed of impurities discharged by crystallization. Therefore, when making transparent ice, it is important to make as much time as possible, and there is a problem that it is impossible to shorten the ice making time.

  Further, the method of supplying water in the form of a fountain with the opening of the ice tray as shown in Patent Document 2 is unsuitable for home use because the apparatus becomes large.

  Furthermore, when ice making is performed according to the principle of natural ice cubes, single crystal ice with very good quality can be made, but there is a problem that the ice making time is very slow and requires many days.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems and provide an ice making device that can make ice with a short ice making time and very high transparency even in a home refrigerator.

In the ice making apparatus of the invention of claim 1 includes a ice tray, and a lid for sealing the ice tray, and vacuum pump for sucking the ice tray ambient air which is sealed by the lid, and a heating means for heating the ice tray And a control means for controlling the decompression pump, the control means comprising an electromagnetic valve that intermittently drives the decompression pump and opens and closes a connection means for connecting the decompression pump and the lid. The valve is operated in accordance with on / off control of the pressure reducing pump that is intermittently operated by the control means .

  The ice making device of the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that the depressurization pump is driven to depressurize the ice tray to below atmospheric pressure.

In an ice making device according to a third aspect of the invention, the control means intermittently drives the pressure reducing pump based on a preset intermittent operation time.

The ice making device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the heating means is a heater wire built in the lid.

In the ice making device according to a fifth aspect of the invention, the heating means is a heater wire installed inside the lid.

The ice making device of the invention of claim 6 is characterized in that the surface of water supplied to the ice tray is heated by the heating means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the ice tray supplied with water is sealed with the lid, the air around the ice tray is sucked with the decompression pump, and the pressure inside the ice tray is reduced to below atmospheric pressure. This facilitates degassing of dissolved gases such as air dissolved in water, lowers the concentration of dissolved gases, reduces bubbles remaining inside the ice during ice making, and can produce transparent ice without white turbidity. . In addition, when ice is growing, the water surface of the ice tray is heated by heating means to delay freezing, thereby further promoting the deaeration from the water surface, and the problem of insufficient deaeration due to water surface freezing. Can be eliminated. Transparent ice without residual bubbles can be made in a short time by both the negative pressure by the vacuum pump and the surface heating by the heating means. Furthermore, automatic control of the decompression pump drive can be achieved. In addition, the life of the decompression pump can be extended, the drive sound generation time generated from the decompression pump can be shortened, and the power consumption can be further reduced. In addition, the connection means can be sealed with an on-off valve to prevent air leakage and maintain the sealing degree of the ice tray.

  According to invention of Claim 2, deaeration of the dissolved gas of the water of an ice tray can be accelerated | stimulated by negative pressure of the ice tray by a pressure reduction pump.

According to the invention of claim 3 , automatic driving of the decompression pump drive can be achieved.

According to invention of Claim 4 , deaeration of the dissolved gas of the water of an ice tray can be accelerated | stimulated by heating the water surface of an ice tray and delaying freezing.

According to the invention of claim 5 , the degassing of the dissolved gas of the water in the ice tray can be promoted by heating the water surface of the ice tray to delay freezing.

According to invention of Claim 6 , deaeration of the dissolved gas of the water of an ice tray can be accelerated | stimulated by heating the water surface of an ice tray and delaying freezing.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an ice making device 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. An ice making device 1 according to the present embodiment is mounted on a refrigerator. The ice making device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an ice making tray 2, It has a lid 3 capable of closing the ice tray 2, a decompression pump 4, connection means 5 for connecting the decompression pump 4 and the lid 3, and a heater wire as the heating means 6.

  The ice tray 2 is made of, for example, a deformable material such as plastic, and has an opening 7 at the top and is partitioned by a plurality of blocks 8 and 8.

  The connection means 5 is a hollow tubular body having one connected to the lid 3 and the other connected to the pump 4, and is dissolved in the air or water W inside the ice tray 2 between the lid 3 and the vacuum pump 4. A flow path R that allows a dissolved gas G such as air to flow therethrough is formed.

  The lid 3 is formed so as to be able to close the upper opening portion 7 of the ice tray 2 and to be placed on the opening edge 2 </ b> A of the ice tray 2.

  The heater wire is formed corresponding to the shape of the upper surface opening portion 7 of the ice tray 2 and is built in the lid 3. Other heating means 6 may be a wire heater, a mica heater, a sheathed heater, a ceramic heater, or the like.

  Next, the effect | action is demonstrated about the said structure. In ice making using the ice tray 2 of the present embodiment, a predetermined amount of water W is supplied to the block 8 of the ice tray 2 from a water supply means (not shown), and then the cold air in the refrigerator is removed from the ice tray 2 by a blower means (not shown). The ice tray 2 is cooled to cool the ice tray 2, and the water W inside the ice tray 2 is made into ice.

  At the time of ice making, air inside the ice tray 2 sealed by the lid 3 is sucked by the vacuum pump 4 through the connecting means 5 to decompress the inside of the ice tray 2. When the air in the ice tray 2 continues to be discharged by driving the decompression pump 4, the pressure in the ice tray 2 is reduced to an atmospheric pressure or lower, and the inside of the ice tray 2 is in a negative pressure state. In the ice tray 2 in a negative pressure state, degassing of dissolved gas G such as air dissolved in the water W inside the ice tray 2 is promoted, and the dissolved gas concentration of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is lowered. Let

  Then, the dissolved gas G in the water W inside the ice tray 2 is degassed and the dissolved gas concentration in the water W inside the ice tray 2 is reduced, thereby reducing bubbles due to the dissolved gas G remaining in the ice during ice making. In addition, transparent ice without white turbidity can be made.

  Further, when the water W is growing into ice inside the ice tray 2, the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is heated by the heating means 6, and the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is frozen. Delay to do. As the freezing of the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is delayed, the degassing of the dissolved gas G in the water W inside the ice tray 2 by the decompression pump 4 is further promoted, and the water W inside the ice tray 2 is accelerated. It is possible to further reduce the dissolved gas concentration.

  In this way, the depressurization of the dissolved gas G in the water W inside the ice tray 2 is achieved by both the negative pressure inside the ice tray 2 by the decompression pump 4 and the surface L heating of the water W inside the ice tray 2 by the heating means 6. By promoting the air efficiently, the speed of the process of lowering the dissolved gas concentration of the water W inside the ice tray 2 can be increased, and transparent ice without residual bubbles can be made in a short time.

  The present embodiment corresponds to claim 1, and includes an ice tray 2 for making ice, a lid 3 for sealing the ice tray 2, and the periphery of the ice tray 2 sealed by the lid 3, particularly the ice tray 2. A decompression pump 4 that sucks in the internal air, a connection means 5 that connects the decompression pump 4 and the lid 3, and a heating means 6 that is disposed above the ice tray 2 and heats the ice tray 2 are provided.

  In this case, after the ice tray 2 supplied with water W is sealed with the lid 3, the air around the ice tray 2, particularly the air inside the ice tray 2, is sucked with the decompression pump 4, and the pressure inside the ice tray 2 is less than atmospheric pressure. By depressurizing to negative pressure, the degassing of the dissolved gas G such as air dissolved in the water W is promoted, the dissolved gas concentration is lowered, and bubbles remaining inside the ice during ice making are reduced. Transparent ice without cloudiness can be made. Further, in the stage where ice is growing inside the ice tray 2, the surface L of the water W of the ice tray 2 is heated by the heating means 6 to delay freezing, thereby degassing the surface of the water W from the surface L. Further, the problem of insufficient deaeration due to freezing of the surface L of the water W can be solved. By both the negative pressure by the decompression pump 4 and the surface L heating by the heating means 6, transparent ice without residual bubbles can be made in a short time.

  Further, this embodiment corresponds to claim 2 and the depressurization pump 4 is driven to depressurize the ice tray 2 to an atmospheric pressure or lower.

  In this case, the degassing of the dissolved gas G of the water W in the ice tray 2 can be promoted by the negative pressure of the ice tray 2 by the decompression pump 4.

Further, this embodiment corresponds to claim 4 , and the heating means 6 is a heater wire built in the lid 3, and the surface L of the water W of the ice tray 2 is heated to delay freezing. The degassing of the dissolved gas G in the water W of the ice tray 2 can be promoted.

Further, this embodiment corresponds to claim 6 , and the heating means 6 heats the surface L of the water W supplied to the ice tray 2, and heats the surface L of the water W of the ice tray 2. By delaying freezing, the degassing of the dissolved gas G of the water W in the ice tray 2 can be promoted.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as the said 1st Example, and it abbreviate | omits since description of the common part overlaps.

  In the figure, the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment includes a control means 9 for automatically controlling the decompression pump 4. The microcomputer program (not shown) installed in the control means 9 includes an ON control time Ton and an OFF time as shown in FIG. 5 as intermittent operation times for controlling the pressure reducing pump 4 on / off at predetermined intervals in advance. A control time Toff is set. Based on the microcomputer control by the control means 9, the decompression pump 4 is controlled by repeating the on / off control every predetermined on-time Ton and off-control time Toff. The vacuum pump 4 is automatically and intermittently operated by automatic control by means 9.

  Regarding the intermittent operation of the decompression pump 4 shown in FIG. 5, the on control time Ton and the off control time Toff as the intermittent operation time can be changed as appropriate. For example, the adjacent on control time Ton and off control time Toff have different lengths. Similarly, adjacent on-control times Ton and Ton or adjacent off-control times Toff and Toff may be different from each other.

  By operating the decompression pump 4 intermittently in this way, the life of the decompression pump 4 can be extended by shortening the operation time of the decompression pump 4, and by reducing the drive sound generation time when the decompression pump 4 is driven. It is intended to reduce the noise of the ice making device 1 and to reduce the power consumption for driving the decompression pump 4 by shortening the operation time of the decompression pump 4.

The present embodiment corresponds to claim 1 and is provided with a control means 9 for controlling the decompression pump 4 so that the drive of the decompression pump 4 can be automatically controlled.

Further, the present embodiment corresponds to claim 1 , and the control means 9 drives the decompression pump 4 intermittently, thereby extending the life of the decompression pump 4 and driving sound generated from the decompression pump 4. The generation time can be shortened and the power consumption can be further reduced.

Further, this embodiment corresponds to claim 3 , and the control means 9 intermittently operates the decompression pump 4 based on the ON control time Ton and the OFF control time Toff as the intermittent operation time preset in the microcomputer of the control means. Therefore, the intermittent drive of the decompression pump 4 can be automatically driven.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part as the said 1st Example and 2nd Example, and since the description of the common part overlaps, it abbreviate | omits.

  In the figure, the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment is one in which the heating means 10 is disposed on the inner side surface 3A of the lid 3 facing the ice tray 2. Here, the heating means 10 is the same as the heating means 6 of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

  As described above, the heater wire 10 as the heating means is disposed at a position closer to the surface L of the water W of the ice tray 2 to heat the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 more efficiently. Can do.

  Therefore, at the stage where the water W grows into ice inside the ice tray 2, the water W inside the ice tray 2 is heated by the heating means 10 disposed on the inner surface 3 </ b> A of the lid 3 that seals the ice tray 2. The surface L of the water W is more efficiently heated, and the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is further delayed. Then, the freezing of the surface L of the water W inside the ice tray 2 is further delayed, so that the degassing of the dissolved gas G of the water W inside the ice tray 2 by the decompression pump 4 is further promoted, and the ice tray 2 It is possible to further reduce the dissolved gas concentration of the internal water W.

This embodiment corresponds to claim 5 , and the heating means 10 is a heater wire installed on the inner surface 3 </ b> A of the lid 3, and heats the surface L of the water W of the ice tray 2 to delay freezing. Thereby, deaeration of the dissolved gas G of the water W in the ice tray 2 can be promoted.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the common parts is omitted because it is duplicated.

  In the figure, the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment is provided with an electromagnetic valve 11 having an opening / closing valve function for opening / closing a flow path R formed in the connection means 5 as an opening / closing valve in the connection means 5. Here, the electromagnetic valve 11 may be operated in accordance with the on / off control of the pressure reducing pump 4 that operates intermittently by the microcomputer control of the control means. For example, the electromagnetic valve 11 is closed when the pressure reducing pump 4 is turned off. It is also possible to seal the connecting means 7 by operating and open the connecting means 7 by opening the electromagnetic valve 11 when the decompression pump 4 is on-controlled.

  Thus, by providing the connection means 5 with the electromagnetic valve 11, it is possible to prevent the air or dissolved gas G inside the ice tray 2 flowing through the connection means 5 from leaking through the connection means 5, and the sealing degree of the ice tray 2. , And the internal pressure of the ice tray 2 that has been decompressed by the decompression pump 4 and reduced to the atmospheric pressure or less is maintained.

  By maintaining the sealing degree of the ice tray 2 in this way, it becomes possible to maintain the sealing degree of the ice tray 2 particularly when the pressure reducing pump 4 is turned off, when the pressure reducing pump 4 is operated intermittently. It is possible to prevent the water W inside the ice tray 2 from being hindered from being accelerated.

This embodiment corresponds to claim 1 , and the connecting means 5 for connecting the decompression pump 4 and the lid 2 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 11 having an opening / closing valve function as an opening / closing valve. Therefore, the air can be prevented from leaking, and the sealing degree of the ice tray 2 can be maintained.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention. Various controls of the heating means 6 or the electromagnetic valve 11 may be performed by the control means 9. Moreover, it does not specifically limit about the structure which produces | generates cool air in the water supply means, the ventilation means, and refrigerator which are not shown in figure. Furthermore, regarding the setting of the intermittent operation time for intermittently operating the decompression pump 4, a method other than that described in the above embodiment may be used. Further, the operation of the pressure reducing pump 4 is not limited to the waveform of the time chart shown in FIG. 5, but the length of the on control time Ton and the off control time Toff as described above, and the output of the pressure reducing pump 4 at the on control time Ton. The above can also be changed as appropriate.

It is sectional drawing of the ice making apparatus in 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which operated the pressure reduction pump same as the above. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which operated the heating means same as the above. It is sectional drawing of the ice making apparatus in 2nd Example of this invention. It is a time chart which shows operation | movement of a pressure reduction pump same as the above. It is sectional drawing of the ice making apparatus in 3rd Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the ice making apparatus in 4th Example of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ice making apparatus 2 Ice making tray 3 Lid 4 Pressure reduction pump 5 Connection means 6 Heater wire (heating means)
9 Control means 10 Heater wire (heating means)
11 Solenoid valve (open / close valve)
L surface (water)
Ton ON control time (intermittent operation time)
Toff OFF control time (intermittent operation time)

Claims (6)

An ice tray, a lid for sealing the ice tray, a vacuum pump for sucking air around the ice tray sealed by the lid, a heating means for heating the ice tray, and a control means for controlling the vacuum pump; equipped with a,
The control means drives the vacuum pump intermittently,
Comprising a solenoid valve for opening and closing connection means for connecting the pressure reducing pump and the lid;
The ice making device is characterized in that the solenoid valve is operated in accordance with on / off control of the pressure reducing pump that is intermittently operated by the control means . 2. The ice making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the depressurization pump is driven to depressurize the ice tray to an atmospheric pressure or lower. The ice making device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control means intermittently drives the decompression pump based on a preset intermittent operation time. The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heating means is a heater wire built in the lid. The ice making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the heating means is a heater wire installed inside the lid. The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein a surface of water supplied to the ice tray is heated by the heating means.

Images