JP5619664B2 - Ice machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention comprises a refrigeration mechanism that enables ice making operation and deicing operation of an ice making mechanism by circulating a refrigerant made of combustible gas, and a refrigerant detection means that can detect the refrigerant leaking from the refrigeration mechanism. This is related to an ice machine.

  FIG. 8 is a side view, partially broken away, showing an injection-type ice making machine M1 that continuously generates block-shaped ice blocks. The ice making machine M1 is configured such that the interior of a substantially box-shaped housing 10 is divided into upper and lower parts, the upper part being an ice storage room 11 and the lower part being a machine room 12. An ice making mechanism D having an ice making unit 20 that generates ice blocks is disposed above the ice storage chamber 11, and the ice making unit 20 of the ice making mechanism D is cooled by a refrigeration mechanism E 1 disposed in the machine chamber 12. Thus, ice blocks I are generated in each ice making chamber 20A in the ice making unit 20 (see FIG. 9), and the ice blocks generated by heating the ice making unit 20 by the freezing mechanism E1 are dropped into the ice storage chamber 11. Are stored. The ice making mechanism D of the ice making machine M1 shown in FIG. 8 includes, as shown in FIG. 9, the ice making unit 20 formed by a large number of ice making chambers 20A opened downward, a water dish 21, and a lower part of the water dish 21. And the water tray opening / closing mechanism 23 for tilting the water tray 21 and the ice making water tank 22 integrally.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the refrigeration mechanism E1 includes a compressor 60, a forced air-cooled condenser 61, an expansion valve 62, an evaporator 63, and the like connected to a connecting pipe 65 (first connecting pipe 65A, second connecting pipe 65B, The refrigerant is circulated in a closed circuit connecting the third connecting pipe 65C and the fourth connecting pipe 65D). As shown in FIG. 8, the compressor 60, the condenser 61, and the expansion valve 62 are provided in the machine room. The evaporator 63 is disposed on the upper surface of the ice making unit 20 in the ice storage chamber 11. The refrigeration mechanism E1 uses the compressor 60 to convert the refrigerant into a high-pressure gas, the condenser 61 to cool the refrigerant to high-pressure liquid, the expansion valve 62 to adiabatically expand the liquid, and the evaporator 63 to The evaporator 63 is cooled by the heat of vaporization by evaporating the refrigerant. The refrigeration mechanism E1 includes a fifth connecting pipe 65E that connects the compressor 60 and the evaporator 63, and supplies the refrigerant (hot gas) heated from the compressor 60 at a high temperature and high pressure to the evaporator 63. Thus, the evaporator 63 can be heated. Therefore, the refrigeration mechanism E1 allows the ice making mechanism D to perform an ice making operation by cooling the evaporator 63 and heats the evaporator 63 to enable the ice making mechanism D to perform an ice removing operation.

  The refrigeration mechanism E1 employs a combustible gas such as propane or butane as the refrigerant. Therefore, in the ice making machine M1, one refrigerant detection sensor S1 capable of detecting the refrigerant is provided in each of the machine chamber 12 and the ice storage chamber 11, and the refrigerant leaking from the refrigeration mechanism E1 can be detected. It is like that. Accordingly, in the ice making machine M1, when the refrigerant detection sensor S1 detects the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism E1, the ice making operation in the ice making mechanism D is stopped and the cooling fan 64 provided in the condenser 61 is stopped. Is controlled so as to prevent the refrigerant from staying in the machine room 12, and the concentration of the refrigerant is increased in the machine room 12 in which electrical devices, high-temperature devices and parts are accommodated. It comes to prevent. In addition, the refrigerator provided with the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor is disclosed by patent document 1. FIG.

JP 2001-336869 A

  By the way, the refrigerant detection sensor S1 may fail during use due to the environment (temperature, humidity, vibration, etc.) provided. However, even if the refrigerant detection sensor S1 fails, it does not mean that the refrigerant has actually leaked out. Therefore, the ice making operation and the deicing operation are continued from the time of the failure detection to the replacement of the refrigerant detection sensor S1. It is desired to prevent a decrease in ice making efficiency. Here, when the ice making operation and the deicing operation of the ice making machine M1 are continued in a state where the function of the refrigerant detection sensor S1 is stopped, refrigerant leakage may occur during this operation. It is desirable to improve safety and reliability by continuously operating the equipped cooling fan 64 to prevent the refrigerant from remaining in the machine room 12.

  However, in the conventional ice making machine M1, it is necessary to maintain the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigeration mechanism E1 at a constant pressure in order to ensure the flow rate of the heated refrigerant through the fifth connecting pipe 65E during the deicing operation. As described above, when the cooling fan 64 is continuously operated, the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 61 and the pressure is reduced. Therefore, the heated refrigerant from the compressor 60 is supplied to the condenser 61 via the second connecting pipe 65B. And the flow rate of the refrigerant in the heated state via the fifth connecting pipe 65E is not ensured. Moreover, depending on the characteristics of the capillary tube and the expansion valve 62, the refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 60 to the condenser 61 even in the deicing operation, and the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 61 in which the cooling fan 64 is operated. After that, it is supplied to the evaporator 63 through the expansion valve 62. That is, in the conventional ice making machine M1, when the cooling fan 64 of the condenser 61 is operated during the deicing operation in order to improve safety and reliability, the refrigerant in the heated state from the compressor 60 and the condensation from the condenser 61 are condensed. The cooled refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 63 while being mixed in the third connecting pipe 65C, and the heating efficiency for the evaporator 63 is lowered, so that the deicing operation is not performed properly. In addition, if the control to stop the ice making machine M1 is performed without continuing the ice making operation and the deicing operation, there is a possibility that the ice making efficiency is lowered.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in view of the problems inherent in the above-described conventional technology, it has been proposed to solve this problem suitably, and the ice making operation and the deicing in the ice making mechanism even when the failure of the refrigerant detecting means occurs. An object of the present invention is to provide an ice making machine capable of continuing operation and having improved safety and reliability.

In order to solve the problem and achieve the intended purpose, the invention according to claim 1
A compressor, a condenser forcibly air-cooled by a cooling fan, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, and a flammable gas refrigerant is circulated to perform an ice making operation of an ice making mechanism in which the evaporator is disposed. An ice making machine comprising: a refrigeration mechanism that supplies a refrigerant in a heated state to the evaporator to perform a deicing operation of the ice making mechanism; and a refrigerant detection means that can detect the refrigerant leaking from the refrigeration mechanism.
When the refrigerant in the heated state is supplied from the compressor to the evaporator, the expansion valve switches to a closed state and regulates the flow of the refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator,
The refrigerant detection means has a function of sending a failure signal to the control means when a self-failure occurs,
The control means is configured to, when receiving a failure signal from the refrigerant detection means, continuously operate the cooling fan and execute an operation mode in which the ice making mechanism continues ice making operation and deicing operation. And

  Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention, when supplying the heated refrigerant from the compressor to the evaporator in the deicing operation, the refrigerant condensed in the condenser by switching the expansion valve to the closed state is removed. Therefore, when the refrigerant detection means fails during the operation of the ice making machine, the ice making operation and the deicing operation in the ice making mechanism are continuously performed while the cooling fan of the condenser is continuously operated. Therefore, a decrease in ice making efficiency can be prevented. During the failure of the refrigerant detection means, the cooling fan is continuously operating during the ice making operation and the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism, so even if the refrigerant leaks from the refrigeration mechanism during the ice making operation and the deicing operation, The refrigerant can be appropriately diffused indoors and discharged outside the apparatus, and the ice making machine can be kept in a safe state.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the expansion valve is capable of detecting the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the evaporator, and outputs the temperature in the required output form when the temperature of the heated refrigerant is detected. And an operating part that switches the expansion valve to a closed state at the time of output from the temperature sensing means.
Therefore, according to the invention according to claim 2, when the temperature sensing means detects that the refrigerant in the heated state is supplied to the evaporator, the operation unit is thereby activated and the expansion valve is switched to the closed state. When the refrigerant in the heated state is supplied to the evaporator, the expansion valve can be appropriately closed.

The invention according to claim 3
The temperature sensing means is a temperature sensing cylinder in which an enclosure that expands when detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the heated state is enclosed,
The gist of the present invention is that the operating part includes a pressure valve that is connected to the temperature sensing means and is operated by the pressure of the expanded enclosure.
Therefore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the heated refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator, the enclosure in the temperature sensing cylinder expands and the pressure valve operates, so that the heated refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator. When is supplied, the expansion valve can be appropriately switched to the closed state.

The invention according to claim 4
The temperature sensing means is a temperature sensor that outputs a detection signal to the control means when detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the heated state,
The gist of the invention is that the actuating portion includes an electromagnetic valve that is actuated and controlled by the control means that has received the detection signal from the temperature sensing means.
Therefore, according to the invention according to claim 4, when the refrigerant in the heated state is supplied to the evaporator, a detection signal is output from the temperature sensor to the control means, and the electromagnetic valve is operated by the control means. When the heated refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator, the expansion valve can be appropriately closed.

The invention described in claim 5
The gist of the invention is that the control means includes a notification means that operates when a failure signal is received from the refrigerant detection means.
Therefore, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 5, since a alerting | reporting means act | operates at the time of failure of a refrigerant | coolant detection means, failure of this refrigerant | coolant detection means can be confirmed appropriately.

  According to the ice making machine of the present invention, it is possible to continue the ice making operation and the deicing operation in the ice making mechanism even when the failure of the refrigerant detecting means occurs, and the safety and reliability are improved.

It is a schematic block diagram of the ice making mechanism and freezing mechanism in the ice making machine of an Example. It is side sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the ice making machine of an Example. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of the ice making machine of an Example partially broken, and is shown schematically. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the structure which the refrigerant | coolant leaked into the ice making chamber can move to a machine room via piping space. It is a block diagram of the control system relevant to this invention in the ice making machine of an Example. 4 is a timing chart in a normal mode in which normal ice making operation and deicing operation are performed in the ice making machine of the embodiment. In the ice making machine of an Example, it is a timing chart in the safe mode performed at the time of failure of a refrigerant | coolant detection sensor. It is a sectional side view which shows the structure of the conventional ice making machine roughly. It is a schematic block diagram of the ice making mechanism and refrigeration mechanism in the conventional ice making machine.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, an ice making machine basically having the same overall configuration as the conventional ice making machine M1 shown in FIG. 8 is illustrated. Accordingly, the same components as those of the ice making machine M1 shown in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the embodiment, the side (left side in FIG. 1) on which the door 18 is disposed is the front side of the ice making machine M1, the left-right direction viewed from the front side is the left-right direction of the ice making machine M1, and the vertical direction is the upper and lower sides of the ice making machine M1. The direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ice making machine M according to the embodiment has an approximately box-shaped housing 10 that is partitioned into upper and lower parts, and an ice storage chamber 11 having a heat insulating structure is defined upward, and the ice storage chamber. A machine room 12 is defined below 11. The ice storage chamber 11 is provided with an evaporator 33 of an ice making mechanism D and a refrigeration mechanism E above the interior, and the machine chamber 12 includes a compressor 30, a condenser 31, an expansion valve 32, etc. Various other devices and parts are arranged. The machine chamber 12 is provided with a refrigerant detection sensor S as refrigerant detection means described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ice making mechanism D includes the ice making unit 20 in which a large number of ice making chambers 20 </ b> A opened downward, and water that opens and closes each ice making chamber 20 </ b> A of the ice making unit 20 from below. The tray 21 is composed of an ice making water tank 22 disposed below the water tray 21, a water tray opening / closing mechanism 23 that tilts the water tray 21 and the ice making water tank 22 together, and the like. The ice making mechanism D is arranged in a state of being suspended on an attachment member 13 installed on the housing 10 so as to be horizontal in the left-right direction at the upper part of the ice making unit 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). The ice making unit 20 is fixed to the mounting member 13 in a horizontal state with the ice making chambers 20A facing downward. A support arm 24 attached to the left end portion of the water tray 21 is pivotally supported on the bracket 14 of the attachment member 13 via a support shaft 15, and the vicinity of the right end portion of the water tray 21 is A coil arm 26 is connected to a cam arm 25 constituting a water tray opening / closing mechanism 23 disposed on the attachment member 13. Accordingly, the water tray 21 is tilted downward from the ice making unit 20 by horizontally rotating the cam arm 25 forward and backward by the opening / closing motor 27 so that the ice making unit 20 is closed (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1). The posture can be changed to the opened state (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ice making water tank 22 is a bucket-shaped member that opens upward, and is fixed to the water tray 21 by an appropriate fixing member. It is comprised so that it may incline with. The ice making water tank 22 can store a predetermined amount of ice making water when the water tray 21 faces the closed position, and discharges the stored ice making water to the drain pan 16 when the water tray 21 faces the open position. It is configured to In addition, ice making water stored in the ice making water tank 22 is placed on the left front wall, which is the deepest part of the ice making water tank 22, in each ice making chamber 20 of the ice making unit 20 through an injection hole provided in the water tray 21. An ice making water pump 28 is provided for injecting and supplying to 20A.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the refrigeration mechanism E includes a compressor 30 disposed in the machine room 12, a condenser 31 that is equipped with a cooling fan 34 and is forcibly cooled by air, an expansion valve 32, and the like. The ice storage chamber 11 includes an evaporator 33 arranged in a meandering manner on the upper surface of the ice making section 20 of the ice making mechanism D. The compressor 30, the condenser 31, the expansion valve 32, and the evaporator 33 are connected to the connecting pipe 35. Are connected in series to form a refrigeration circuit in which a refrigerant made of combustible gas circulates. That is, the outlet part of the compressor 30 and the inlet part of the condenser 31 are connected by the first connecting pipe 35A, and the outlet part of the condenser 31 and the inlet part of the expansion valve 32 are connected by the second connecting pipe 35B. The outlet part of the expansion valve 32 and the inlet part of the evaporator 33 are connected by a third connecting pipe 35C, and the outlet part of the evaporator 33 and the inlet part of the compressor 30 are connected by a fourth connecting pipe 35D. . Further, a fifth connecting pipe 35E connected in the middle of the first connecting pipe 35A and in the middle of the third connecting pipe 35C is provided, and the hot gas disposed in the middle of the fifth connecting pipe 35E. By controlling the valve 36 to be open, the heated refrigerant (hot gas) compressed by the compressor 30 can be directly supplied to the evaporator 33 via the fifth connecting pipe 35E. .

  The refrigerant is an HC (hydrocarbon) refrigerant that is widely used in refrigerators and ice makers, and is made of a combustible gas such as propane (R290) or isobutane (R600a). This refrigerant has a specific gravity greater than that of air, and by any chance, the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the expansion valve 32, the evaporator 33, and the connecting pipe 35 (first connecting pipe 35A to fifth connecting pipe) constituting the refrigeration mechanism E When leaking out from the pipe 35E), or a connecting portion between each of these devices and the connecting pipe 35, it moves downward in the ice making machine M. Note that description of various physical properties of the refrigerant is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the expansion valve 32 in the refrigeration mechanism E of the embodiment is disposed at the outlet portion of the evaporator 33 in the fourth connection pipe 35 </ b> D, and the refrigerant temperature at the outlet portion of the evaporator 33 is set. A temperature sensing cylinder (temperature sensing means) 40 that detects and generates pressure and an operation unit 41 that switches the expansion valve 32 to a closed state are provided, and pressure (maximum operating pressure ( MOP: Maximum Operating Pressure)). The temperature sensing tube 40 is filled with an enclosure whose volume expands as the temperature rises, and the operating portion 41 is provided with a diaphragm valve 43 as a pressure valve, and the temperature sensing tube 40 and the operating portion 41 are provided. Are connected by a capillary tube 42. And the enclosure in the said temperature sensing cylinder 40 will supply the temperature of the exit part of this evaporator 33 accompanying this, when the refrigerant | coolant of the heating state from the compressor 30 is supplied to the evaporator 33 in the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism D. The volume is set so as to expand and the pressure is generated by the rise, and the diaphragm valve 43 is operated by the pressure generated by the expansion of the enclosure. That is, the expansion valve 32 is held in an open state when the heated refrigerant from the compressor 30 is not supplied to the evaporator 33, and the refrigerant sent from the condenser 31 can be injected toward the evaporator 33. When the heated refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 30 to the evaporator 33, the diaphragm valve 43 is switched to a closed state by the operation of the diaphragm valve 43, thereby restricting the delivery of the refrigerant from the condenser 31.

  A third connecting pipe 35C for connecting the expansion valve 32 provided in the machine chamber 12 and the evaporator 33 provided in the ice storage chamber 11, and the evaporator 33 and the machine chamber 12 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the fourth connecting pipe 35 </ b> D that connects the compressor 30 is disposed along a pipe space (communication space) 45 defined on the back surface of the housing 10. . As shown in FIG. 3, the pipe space 45 is attached to the rear surface of the housing 10 by attaching a semi-cylindrical cover member 46 that is vertically long and opened to the housing 10 side to the rear surface of the housing 10. It is defined vertically. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the piping space 45 is in spatial communication with the inside of the ice storage chamber 11 via a first communication portion 47 formed in the upper portion of the casing 10 (upper rear wall of the ice storage chamber 11). In addition, the inside of the machine room 12 is spatially communicated via a second insertion portion 48 formed downward from the center in the vertical direction of the housing 10. The first communication portion 47, the piping space 45, and the second insertion portion 48 are allowed to circulate refrigerant between the third connecting pipe 35C and the heat insulating material 37 wound around the fourth connecting pipe 35D. The gap G is defined in a shape and size.

  In addition, since the ice storage chamber 11 is not provided with a fan, almost no convection of cold air is generated in the ice storage chamber 11, so that the refrigerant leaking into the ice storage chamber 11 can easily move below the ice storage chamber 11. Nevertheless, the reason why the first communication portion 47 is provided on the upper rear wall of the ice storage chamber 11 is as follows. First, as reason 1, as shown in FIG. 1, when the ice block I generated by the ice making mechanism D is fully stored in the ice storage chamber 11, the first communication portion 47 is provided at the bottom of the ice storage chamber 11. In this case, the ice block I may block the first communication portion 47, and the refrigerant may not be discharged properly. Also, as reason 2, since the ice storage chamber 11 always generates melt water, when the first communication portion 47 is provided at the bottom of the ice storage chamber 11, the melt water flows into the first communication portion 47. There is a fear. Further, as a reason 3, the refrigeration mechanism E disposed in the ice making machine M has a larger amount of refrigerant as compared with a domestic refrigerator, air conditioner, etc., so the refrigerant from the evaporator 33 or the like is sealed in the sealed ice storage chamber 11. The amount of leakage is large, and the internal volume of the ice storage chamber 11 is smaller than that of a domestic refrigerator, air conditioner, etc., so that the leaked refrigerant is contained in the ice storage chamber 11 for a relatively short time. Therefore, the leaked refrigerant can be sufficiently discharged also from the first communication portion 47 provided on the upper rear wall of the ice storage chamber 11. In particular, since the upper part of the rear wall of the ice storage chamber 11 is close to the evaporator 33, there is an advantage that the refrigerant leaked from the evaporator 33 easily flows into the first communication part 47 provided on the upper part of the rear wall. Therefore, considering the reasons 1 to 3, it is reasonable that the first communication portion 47 is provided at an upper portion in the ice storage chamber 11 in which the evaporator 33 is disposed.

  That is, in the ice making machine M according to the embodiment, for example, when a crack or a hole is formed in the middle of the third connection pipe 35C or the fourth connection pipe 35D and the refrigerant leaks from the crack or hole, the refrigerant flows into the pipe space. It is configured to be able to move downward in 45 and move into the machine chamber 12 via the second insertion portion 48. Further, the ice making machine M of the embodiment has a case where a crack or hole is formed in the middle of the evaporator 33 and the refrigerant leaks into the ice storage chamber 11 from the crack or hole, or between the evaporator 33 and the third connecting pipe 35C. When the refrigerant leaks into the ice storage chamber 11 from the connection portion or the connection portion between the evaporator 33 and the fourth connection pipe 35D, the refrigerant is supplied to the first communication portion 47, the piping space 45, and the second insertion portion 48. It is comprised so that it can move in in the machine room 12 via.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ice making machine M according to the embodiment includes a single refrigerant detection sensor (refrigerant detection means) that can detect the refrigerant in the machine room 12 substantially directly below the second insertion portion 48. ) S is provided. This refrigerant detection sensor S is, for example, a tin oxide semiconductor type in which a heater coil and an electrode lead wire are embedded in a material mainly composed of stannic oxide (SnO ₂ ) as a gas sensitive element, and is a refrigerant made of propane or isobutane. Can be detected appropriately. And the refrigerant | coolant detection sensor S is electrically connected to the control means C (refer FIG. 5) which controls the said ice making machine M, and can send a detection signal to this control means C at the time of the detection of a refrigerant | coolant. . Therefore, the refrigerant detection sensor S can appropriately detect the refrigerant leaked directly into the machine chamber 12 from the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the expansion valve 32, the first connection pipe 35A, and the second connection pipe 35B. As described above, the refrigerant that has leaked from the condenser 31, the third connection pipe 35C, and the fourth connection pipe 35D and has moved to the machine chamber 12 can be appropriately detected.

  The refrigerant detection sensor S has a self-diagnosis function so that it can always determine its own failure. For example, when a failure occurs due to deterioration or damage due to long-term use, the control means C A failure signal is sent to the device. Therefore, the control means C of the ice making machine M can immediately recognize the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S even during the ice making operation or the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism D. Note that the refrigerant detection sensor S can automatically return when the failure is temporary and returns to normal, and can automatically stop sending the failure signal to the control means C.

  The ice making machine M of the embodiment employs the expansion valve 32 having a function of setting the maximum operating pressure, and as shown in Table 1 below, as an operating mode during startup, “normal mode”, “Safe hold mode” and “safe mode” are set, and the operation mode is automatically switched according to the state of the ice making machine M.

  The “normal mode” is an operation mode that is executed when the ice making machine M is operating normally on the assumption that the refrigerant detection sensor S is operating normally, and normal ice making operation and deicing operation are executed. . In this normal mode, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is controlled to be ON during the ice making operation, and the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is OFF controlled during the deicing operation. And stop. Therefore, in the deicing operation, the refrigerant is not condensed in the condenser 31, so that the condensed refrigerant is not supplied to the evaporator 33 even when the expansion valve 32 is open.

  The “safe hold mode” is an operation that is executed when an abnormality occurs when the refrigerant detection sensor S detects the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism E and the detection signal from the refrigerant detection sensor S is sent to the control means C. Mode. In the safe hold mode, the ice making operation of the ice making mechanism D is stopped, and the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously ON-controlled and continuously operated. Accordingly, the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously operated to stir the air in the machine room 12 to diffuse the refrigerant flowing into the machine room 12 and through the vent hole 17 provided in the housing 10. Therefore, the refrigerant is prevented from being filled in the machine room 12 and increasing its concentration.

  The “safe mode” is an operation mode that is executed when an abnormality occurs when the refrigerant detection sensor S fails and a failure signal from the refrigerant detection sensor S is sent to the control means C. In this safe mode, as shown in FIG. 7, the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously turned on and continuously operated, and the ice making operation and the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism D are continued. As a result, even if the refrigerant is leaking from the refrigeration mechanism E and the refrigerant flows into the machine chamber 12 during the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S, the cooling fan 34 continuously operates to Air is agitated and the refrigerant flowing into the machine room 12 is diffused and discharged out of the machine through the vent hole 17 provided in the housing 10, so that the machine room 12 is filled with the refrigerant. Prevents the concentration from rising. That is, in the ice making machine M of the embodiment, since the refrigeration mechanism E is normal even if the refrigerant detection sensor S fails, the ice making efficiency of the ice blocks can be reduced by continuing the ice making operation and the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism D. It can be suppressed as much as possible.

  In the ice making machine M of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a leakage warning lamp 50 for notifying the occurrence of the refrigerant leakage and a failure notification lamp (notification means) 51 for notifying the occurrence of the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S are provided. The controller C can promptly notify when the refrigerant leaks and the refrigerant detection sensor S fails. The leakage warning lamp 50 and the failure notification lamp 51 are disposed on the front surface of the housing 10 of the ice making machine M or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control means C comprehensively controls the ice making machine M. A detection signal and a failure signal are input from the refrigerant detection sensor S, and each part of the ice making machine M is controlled. Various signals such as a detection signal and a detection signal are input from various measurement means such as a temperature measurement means, a detection means, and the like arranged in FIG. Further, the control means C is based on various input signals and various settings input from a control panel (not shown), etc., each device of the refrigeration mechanism E, each device of the ice making mechanism D, the leakage warning lamp 50, the failure notification lamp 51, the water supply unit Etc. are comprehensively controlled. In FIG. 5, only the structural members and structural devices related to the present invention are shown.

(Operation of Example)
As shown in FIG. 6, when the ice making machine M according to the embodiment is started by turning on the main power, the ice making mechanism D and the refrigeration mechanism E are subjected to predetermined initial operations by first performing an initial starting operation. When the startup initial operation is completed, the normal mode is executed, the ice making mechanism D and the refrigeration mechanism E are normally operated, and the ice making operation and the deicing operation are continuously repeated.

  When the refrigerant leaks from the third connecting pipe 35C or the fourth connecting pipe 35D, for example, in the refrigeration mechanism E during operation in the normal mode, the refrigerant passes through the pipe space 45 and the second insertion portion 48. Then, the refrigerant flows into the machine room 12 and then flows down to the bottom of the machine room 12, so that the refrigerant detection sensor S appropriately detects it. Further, when the refrigerant leaks from the evaporator 33, the connection part between the evaporator 33 and the third connection pipe 35C, or the connection part between the evaporator 33 and the fourth connection pipe 35D, the refrigerant is stored in the ice storage chamber. 11, the refrigerant detection sensor S moves to the machine chamber 12 through the first communication portion 47, the piping space 45, and the second insertion portion 48 and flows down to the bottom of the machine chamber 12. Is properly detected. Further, when the refrigerant leaks from the compressor 30, the condenser 31, the expansion valve 32, the first connection pipe 35A or the second connection pipe 35B, the refrigerant is appropriately detected by the refrigerant detection sensor S. When the refrigerant detection sensor S detects the leaked refrigerant, a detection signal is sent from the refrigerant detection sensor S to the control means C, so that the control means C changes the operation mode from the normal mode to the safe hold mode. . As a result, the ice making operation in the ice making mechanism D is stopped, and the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously operated to diffuse the refrigerant in the machine room 12 and discharge it outside the apparatus. Further, the control means C turns on the leakage warning lamp 50 to notify the ice making machine M that the refrigerant has leaked.

  Therefore, in the ice making machine M according to the embodiment, not only the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism E into the machine chamber 12 but also the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism E into the ice storage chamber 11 is disposed in the machine chamber 12. The refrigerant detection sensor S can reliably detect it. In particular, a first communicating portion 47 is provided in the vicinity of the evaporator 33 in the wall portion of the ice storage chamber 11, and the refrigerant leaked from the evaporator 33 is stored in the piping space 45 before stopping in the ice storage chamber 11. The refrigerant detection sensor S is surely detected. That is, since it is not necessary to arrange the refrigerant detection sensor S in the ice storage chamber 11, the number of parts is reduced and the number of assembling steps is reduced, so that the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. Further, even if the refrigerant leaks from the refrigeration mechanism E, the refrigerant is diffused in the machine room 12 and discharged to the outside of the machine. Therefore, the refrigerant fills the machine room 12 and does not increase to a dangerous concentration. Can be appropriately prevented, and the ice making machine M can be kept in a safe state. In addition, since the leakage warning lamp 50 is turned on, the manager of the ice making machine M can quickly confirm that the refrigerant has leaked to the ice making machine M, and can quickly repair or replace the refrigeration mechanism E. Can be performed.

  On the other hand, when the refrigerant detection sensor S fails during operation in the normal mode, a failure signal is sent from the refrigerant detection sensor S to the control means C, so that the control means C changes the operation mode to the normal mode. Change from safe mode to safe mode. Thereby, the ice making operation and the deicing operation in the ice making mechanism D are continued, and the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously operated to stir the air in the machine room 12. Even if the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 is continuously operated, the refrigerant is condensed because the expansion valve 32 is closed when the heated refrigerant is supplied from the compressor 30 to the condenser 31 during the deicing operation. Thus, the ice block I is prevented from being supplied to the evaporator 33, and the ice lump I generated in each ice making chamber 20A of the ice making unit 20 in the ice making mechanism D can be appropriately discharged and dropped by appropriately performing the deicing operation.

  Therefore, the ice making machine M of the embodiment can continue the ice making operation and the deicing operation in the ice making mechanism D while continuously operating the cooling fan 34 of the condenser 31 even if the refrigerant detection sensor S fails. In addition, it is possible to suppress a decrease in ice making efficiency of ice blocks and to obtain high safety and reliability required for commercial equipment. During the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S, the cooling fan 34 is continuously operating during the ice making operation and the deicing operation of the ice making mechanism D. Therefore, the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism E during the ice making operation and the deicing operation. However, since the refrigerant can be appropriately diffused in the machine room 12 and discharged outside the machine, the ice making machine M can be kept in a safe state. Further, the failure notification lamp 51 is turned on, so that the manager of the ice making machine M can confirm at an early stage that a failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S has occurred in the ice making machine M. Repair or replacement can be performed quickly.

(Example of change)
(1) If the expansion valve 32 can be switched to the closed state when the heated refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 33 during the deicing operation, the temperature sensing means is a gas-filled type temperature sensing cylinder. For example, (a) a liquid-filled type and (b) a cross-filled type, (c) a temperature-controlled automatic expansion valve controlled by detecting the degree of superheat of the refrigerant, and (d) an internal pressure equalizing temperature automatic expansion valve , Etc. can also be employed.
(2) The temperature sensing means of the expansion valve 32 is a so-called transducer that can detect the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the evaporator and can output the required output form when the temperature of the refrigerant in the heated state is detected. It may be other than the temperature sensitive cylinder. For example, the expansion valve 32 employs a temperature sensor that outputs a detection signal to the control means when the temperature of the heated refrigerant is detected as the temperature sensing means, and the operation unit receives a detection signal from the temperature sensing means. You may make it provide the solenoid valve by which operation control is carried out by a control means. Even in such a configuration, when the heated refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator, the expansion valve is appropriately switched to the closed state by operating the electromagnetic valve by the control means C that has received the detection signal from the temperature sensor. be able to.
(3) The pressure valve provided in the expansion valve 32 is not limited to a diaphragm valve, and various pressure valves can be employed.
(4) The refrigerant detection means is not limited to the tin oxide semiconductor type exemplified in the embodiment, and may be any one that can appropriately detect the combustible gas used as the refrigerant.
(5) The leakage warning lamp 50 and the failure notification lamp 51 can be shared by a single lamp if the lighting mode and display color are different.
(6) The notification means for notifying the failure of the refrigerant detection sensor S is not limited to the lamp of the embodiment, and may be a buzzer, an alarm, an e-mail transmitted to a personal computer, a portable terminal, or the like.
(7) In the embodiment, the ice maker having the machine room disposed in the lower part is illustrated, but the ice maker in which the machine room is disposed in the upper part of the ice storage room, The ice machines installed later are also targeted.
(8) Although the flow down type ice maker was illustrated in the examples, the ice maker targeted by the present invention is any ice maker having a refrigeration mechanism using a refrigerant made of combustible gas.

30 compressor, 31 condenser, 32 expansion valve, 33 evaporator, 34 cooling fan,
40 Temperature sensing cylinder (temperature detection means), 41 Actuator, 43 Diaphragm valve (actuation valve)
51 failure notification lamp (notification means), C control means, D ice making mechanism, E refrigeration mechanism,
S Refrigerant detection switch (refrigerant detection means)

Claims (5)

Composed of a compressor (30), a condenser (31) forcibly air-cooled by a cooling fan (34), an expansion valve (32) and an evaporator (33), and circulating the refrigerant of combustible gas to the evaporator (33 The ice making mechanism (D) is provided with an ice making operation, and a refrigerant in a heated state is supplied from the compressor (30) to the evaporator (33) to remove the ice from the ice making mechanism (D). In an ice making machine comprising a refrigeration mechanism (E) for performing the above and a refrigerant detection means (S) capable of detecting the refrigerant leaked from the refrigeration mechanism (E),
When the refrigerant in the heated state is supplied from the compressor (30) to the evaporator (33), the expansion valve (32) is switched to a closed state and the evaporator (31) to the evaporator (33)
The refrigerant detection means (S) has a function of sending a failure signal to the control means (C) when an own failure occurs,
When the control means (C) receives the failure signal from the refrigerant detection means (S), it continuously operates the cooling fan (34) and the ice making mechanism (D) continues the ice making operation and the deicing operation. An ice making machine configured to execute an operation mode. The expansion valve (32)
A temperature sensing means (40) capable of detecting the refrigerant temperature at the outlet of the evaporator (33) and outputting in a required output form when the temperature of the heated refrigerant is detected, and
The ice making machine according to claim 1, further comprising an operating part (41) for switching the expansion valve (32) to a closed state when output from the temperature sensing means (40). The temperature sensing means (40) is a temperature sensing tube in which an enclosure that expands when detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the heated state is enclosed,
The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein the operating section (41) includes a pressure valve (43) that is connected to the temperature sensing means (40) and operates by the pressure of the expanded enclosure. The temperature sensing means (40) is a temperature sensor that outputs a detection signal to the control means (C) when detecting the temperature of the heated refrigerant.
The ice making machine according to claim 2, wherein the operating part (41) includes an electromagnetic valve that is controlled by the control means (C) that has received the detection signal from the temperature sensing means (40).   The ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means (C) includes notification means (51) that operates when a failure signal is received from the refrigerant detection means (S).

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