JP6966924B2 - Ice machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ice maker that employs an electronic expansion valve whose opening degree is controlled by a control device as an expansion valve of a refrigerating device that cools an ice making section.

Patent Document 1 discloses an ice maker that produces ice in an ice making section. The ice machine of Patent Document 1 has an ice making section that freezes ice making water to produce ice, an ice making water tank that stores ice making water that is circulated and supplied between the ice making sections, and an ice making section that produces ice water in the ice making water tank. It is equipped with a water supply pump that sends the ice to the ice, a refrigeration device that cools the ice making section, and a control device that controls the operation of the refrigeration device and the water supply pump. The refrigerating device of this ice maker includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor, and an electronic expansion valve that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser. It has an evaporator that evaporates the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the electronic expansion valve to cool the ice making part, and expands the liquefied refrigerant that is pumped from the compressor and liquefied by the condenser by the electronic expansion valve. The ice making section is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant vaporized by the evaporator. Further, an inlet temperature sensor and an outlet temperature sensor are provided at each of the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant of the evaporator in the ice making section, and the control device is the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet temperature sensor. The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is controlled from the difference between the two detected temperatures. In this ice making machine, the ice making water in the ice making water tank is jetted and sent to the ice making section cooled by the refrigerating device by a water pump, and the sent ice making water is cooled while circulating between the ice making water tank and the ice making section. , The ice-making water freezes in the ice-making part and becomes ice.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-339533

In the above-mentioned ice maker of Patent Document 1, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is controlled based on the difference between the detected temperatures of the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet temperature sensor. After the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank circulates in the ice-making part and is sufficiently cooled, the temperature of the ice-making part does not fluctuate greatly depending on the ice-making water jetted and sent out, and the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet part. The electronic expansion valve can be controlled to have an appropriate opening degree based on the difference between the two detection temperatures of the temperature sensor. However, when the temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank is high, such as at the start of the ice-making operation, the temperature of the ice-making part becomes largely fluctuated due to the influence of the temperature of the ice-making water ejected from the ice-making water tank, and the temperature of the inlet part becomes large. In some cases, the sensor and the outlet temperature sensor could not keep up with the temperature fluctuations in the ice making section, and the electronic expansion valve could not be controlled to have an appropriate opening using the inlet and outlet temperature sensors. In this case, if the opening of the electronic expansion valve is lowered when it is necessary to send a large amount of refrigerant to the evaporator of the ice making section, such as when the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank is high, the ice making section evaporates. It will not be cooled sufficiently due to the lack of refrigerant in the vessel. In addition, if the opening of the electronic expansion valve is increased when it is not necessary to send a large amount of refrigerant to the evaporator of the ice making section, such as when the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank is low, the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator. There was a risk that the compressor would be damaged due to liquid return in the compressor without being able to complete the ice. According to the present invention, in an ice making machine in which the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve of the refrigerating device for cooling the ice making section is controlled by a control device, the temperature of the ice making section becomes large due to the ice making water as in the start of the ice making operation. Even at times, the purpose is to be able to control the electronic expansion valve so that it has an appropriate opening.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention sends an ice making section that freezes ice making water to produce ice, an ice making water tank that stores the ice making water supplied to the ice making section, and the ice making water in the ice making water tank to the ice making section. A water pump, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor, an electronic expansion valve that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser, and an electronic expansion valve. A refrigerating device having an evaporator that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the ice making section to cool the ice making section, and an inlet temperature sensor provided at each of the inlet and outlet sections of the evaporator refrigerant in the ice making section. It is equipped with an outlet temperature sensor and a control device that controls the opening of the electronic expansion valve based on the detection temperatures of the inlet temperature sensor and the outlet temperature sensor. The liquefied refrigerant that has been pumped and liquefied by the condenser is expanded by the electronic expansion valve whose opening is controlled by the control device, and the expanded liquefied refrigerant is vaporized by the evaporator to cool the ice making part. Then, while the ice-making water sent by the water pump is cooled in the cooled ice-making part and the unfrozen ice-making water is collected in the ice-making water tank, the ice-making water is frozen in the ice-making part to produce ice. Therefore, a water temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank is provided, and the control device controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation. It provides an ice machine.

In the ice maker configured as described above, a water temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank is provided, and the control device opens the electronic expansion valve based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation. Since the degree is controlled, even when the temperature of the ice making part is likely to fluctuate due to the ice making water in the ice making water tank, such as at the start of ice making operation, it is possible to send the amount of refrigerant according to the temperature of the ice making water to the evaporator. I can now do it.

In the ice maker configured as described above, the opening of the electronic expansion valve is set according to the water temperature range of the ice making water in the ice making water tank, and the control device sets the water temperature range including the temperature detected by the water temperature detecting means. It is preferable to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve accordingly. In this way, it is possible to reduce the processing load on the control device when controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve.

In the ice machine configured as described above, an inlet temperature sensor and an outlet temperature sensor are provided at the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant of the evaporator in the ice making section, and the control device starts the ice making operation in the ice making operation. It is preferable to control the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the detection temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors after controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the time. In this way, even when the temperature of the ice making part is likely to fluctuate due to the ice making water in the ice making water tank, such as when the ice making operation starts, it is possible to send an amount of refrigerant according to the temperature of the ice making water to the evaporator. Not only that, after the ice making water in the ice making water tank is cooled after the ice making operation is started, the ice making part in the ice making part is connected to the evaporator by controlling the electronic expansion valve based on the detection temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors. It has become possible to send an amount of refrigerant according to the state of.

It is a schematic diagram of the ice making machine by this invention. It is a block diagram of a control device.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the ice machine of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, in the ice making machine 10, a large number of downwardly open ice making chambers 13 provided in the ice making portion 11 are closed by a water pan 22 so as to be openable and closable, and ice is made from the water pan 22 to each ice making chamber 13. It is a so-called closed cell type ice maker that ejects water to produce ice. The ice making machine 10 alternately executes an ice making operation in which the ice making water is frozen in the ice making unit 11 and an ice removing operation in which the ice frozen in the ice making unit 11 is removed from the ice making unit 11 to produce ice. An electronic expansion valve 33 whose opening degree can be adjusted by the control of the control device 40 is adopted as the expansion valve of the refrigerating device 30 that cools and heats the ice making unit 11.

The ice making section 11 has a shallow box shape with a horizontally arranged lower surface open, and a large number of ice making small chambers 13 are formed by the partition members 12. Further, below the ice making section 11, an ice storage 14 for storing ice produced in each ice making small chamber 13 is provided.

The ice making machine 10 includes a water feeding unit 20 that sends out ice making water to the ice making unit 11. The water supply unit 20 is provided with a water dish 22 having an ice making water tank 21 integrally provided at the lower portion. The ice-making water tank 21 stores ice-making water that is circulated and supplied to the ice-making unit 11. The water dish 22 is tiltably supported between a closed position where the ice making chamber 13 is closed by approaching the lower side of the ice making portion 11 and an open position where the ice making chamber 13 is opened away from the lower side of the ice making portion 11. Has been done. The water dish 22 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 23 that tilts between the closed position and the open position, and the water dish 22 opens / closes the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11 by the opening / closing mechanism 23. The opening / closing mechanism 23 includes an actuator motor 23a, and the water pan 22 is tilted between the closed position and the open position by driving the actuator motor 23a.

The water supply unit 20 is provided with a water supply means 24 for supplying ice-making water to the ice-making water tank 21, and a water-feeding pump 25 for injecting and sending the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 to the ice-making chamber 13. The water supply means 24 includes a water supply pipe 24a connected to the ice making water tank 21 and a water supply valve 24b interposed in the water supply pipe 24a, and the ice making water sent from the water supply pipe 24a is an ice making water tank by opening the water supply valve 24b. It is supplied to 21. The ice-making water supplied to the ice-making water tank 21 is jetted and sent out to the ice-making chamber 13 by the water supply pump 25.

The ice machine 10 includes a refrigerating device 30 that cools and heats the ice making unit 11. The refrigerating device 30 expands a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31, and a liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser 32 to liquefy the low pressure. It includes an electronic expansion valve 33 as a refrigerant and an evaporator 34 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the electronic expansion valve 33 to cool the ice making unit 11. In the refrigerating apparatus 30, a compressor 31, a condenser 32, an electronic expansion valve 33, and an evaporator 34 are connected in an annular shape by a refrigerant pipe to form a refrigerating circuit. The electronic expansion valve 33 is an expansion valve (electric expansion valve) whose opening degree can be adjusted by a control signal of a control device 40 described later. The evaporator 34 is spirally arranged on the upper surface of the ice making section 11, and the ice making section 11 is cooled by the heat of vaporization when the liquefied refrigerant passing through the evaporator 34 is vaporized.

Further, the refrigerating device 30 includes a hot gas pipe (hot gas path) 35 that supplies hot gas to the evaporator 34 during the deicing operation. The hot gas pipe 35 connects the downstream of the compressor 31 and the upstream of the evaporator 34 so that the hot gas from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34. A hot gas valve 36 is interposed in the hot gas pipe 35, and the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 through the hot gas pipe 35 by opening the hot gas valve 36. When the hot gas is guided to the evaporator 34 by opening the hot gas valve 36 during the deicing operation, the inside of the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11 is heated by the hot gas, and the frozen ice in the ice making chamber 13 is deiced. Will be done.

The ice making section 11 is provided with an inlet temperature sensor 37 and an outlet temperature sensor 38 at each of the refrigerant inlet portion 34a and the refrigerant outlet portion 34b of the evaporator 34, and the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37, respectively. 38 detects the temperatures of the refrigerant inlet portion 34a and the refrigerant outlet portion 34b of the refrigerant 34 in the ice making portion 11. The inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 are mainly used not only for controlling the adjustment of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 during ice making operation, but also for completing ice making and deicing operation during ice making operation. It is used to detect the completion of deicing when the ice is removed.

The ice maker 10 includes a control device 40, and as shown in FIG. 2, the control device 40 includes an actuator motor 23a of the opening / closing mechanism 23, a water supply valve 24b, a water pump 25, and a compressor 31 of the refrigerating device 30. , Is connected to the hot gas valve 36 and the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38. The control device 40 has a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a timer (all of which are not shown) connected via a bus. The control device 40 repeatedly executes an ice making operation in which the ice making water is frozen in the ice making unit 11 to produce ice and an ice removing operation in which the ice frozen in the ice making unit 11 is removed by the ice making operation. Have.

Next, the ice making program of the ice making machine 10 will be described. When the ice making machine 10 is started, the ice removing operation is preliminarily executed so that no ice remains in the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making unit 11. In the deicing operation, the hot gas valve 36 is opened while the compressor 31 is operated, and the water pan 22 is tilted to the open position by the actuator motor 23a of the opening / closing mechanism 23. The hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 through the hot gas pipe 35 to heat each ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. When the average temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 becomes 5 ° C. or higher as a predetermined temperature for detecting that deicing is completed, the control device 40 does not leave ice in the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. That is, it is detected that the deicing is completed, and the hot gas valve 36 is closed to end the deicing operation.

After the ice making operation is executed in advance in the ice making unit 11, the control device 40 repeatedly executes the ice making operation and the ice removing operation in the ice making unit 11. In the ice making operation, the control device 40 tilts the water pan 22 to the closed position by the actuator motor 23a of the opening / closing mechanism 23, and supplies the ice making water to the ice making water tank 21 by opening the water supply valve 24b. When the ice making water tank 21 reaches a predetermined water level, the control device 40 closes the water supply valve 24b to end the water supply, drives the water supply pump 25, and transfers the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 to each ice making small chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. Inject and send. Further, the ice making section 11 is cooled by the freezing device 30 by closing the hot gas valve 36 at the end of the deicing operation as well as supplying water from the water supply pipe 24a to the ice making water tank 21. The refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is liquefied by the condenser 32 to become a liquefied refrigerant, the liquefied refrigerant expands by the electronic expansion valve 33 to become a low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and the low-pressure liquefied refrigerant is vaporized by the evaporator 34. The ice making section 11 is cooled.

In the first ice making operation, as a water temperature detecting means for detecting the water temperature of the ice making water of the ice making water tank 21, the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 is jetted and sent to each ice making small chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is detected by the time until the temperature of the ice-making unit 11 becomes 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature. In this water temperature detecting means, the water temperature of the ice making water is detected as low when the time until the temperature of the ice making unit 11 reaches 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature is within 3 minutes, and the ice making water is detected when the temperature is 3 to 5 minutes. The water temperature is detected as medium temperature, and when the water temperature is longer than 5 minutes, the water temperature of the ice making water is detected as high temperature. In the water temperature detecting means of this embodiment, the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 is jetted and sent out to each ice making small chamber 13 of the ice making unit 11 by the water supply pump 25, and then the temperature of the ice making unit 11 is 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is detected by the time until it becomes, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the temperature of the ice-making unit 11 becomes a temperature other than 0 ° C. The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 may be detected depending on the time until, or the temperature from the injection to the ice-making chamber 13 until the temperature of the ice-making unit 11 becomes 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 may be detected according to the amount of change / time, or depending on whether or not the temperature of the ice-making unit 11 is lower than the predetermined temperature after being jetted and sent to the ice-making chamber 13. , The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 may be detected. Further, a water temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the water temperature of the ice-making water may be provided in the ice-making water tank 21. In the second ice making operation, the control device 40 controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation.

At the start of the second and subsequent ice making operations, the control device 40 controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the detection detected by the water temperature detecting means during the first ice making operation. Specifically, the control device 40 reduces the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 by 25% or less when the water temperature detecting means detects that the ice making water is low temperature, and when the water temperature detecting means detects that the ice making water is medium temperature, the electronic expansion valve The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 should be in the range of more than 25% and 50% or less, and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 should be in the range of more than 50% and 100% when the ice-making water is detected as high temperature by the water temperature detecting means. I'm in control. Since there is no detection by the water temperature detecting means during the first ice making operation, the control device 40 sets the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 to 25% or less on the assumption that the ice making water is at a low temperature. It is controlled so as to surely prevent the refrigerant from being completely evaporated by the evaporator 34 of the ice making section 11 and causing liquid return to the compressor 31.

The ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is jetted and sent to the ice-making unit 11, cooled by the ice-making unit 11, collected again from the ice-making unit 11 into the ice-making water tank 21, and gradually circulated between the ice-making unit 11 and the ice-making unit 11. The temperature drops. When the average temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 becomes 0 ° C. or less as a predetermined temperature for detecting that the ice making water is sufficiently cooled, the control device 40 detects it by the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation. After finishing the control of the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the control, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled based on the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. In this embodiment, when the average temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 becomes 0 ° C. or lower as a predetermined temperature for detecting that the ice-making water is sufficiently cooled as described above, the water temperature is reached. Instead of the control based on the detection of the detection means, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled based on the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. The present invention is not limited to this, and as described above, when the ice-making water tank 21 is provided with a water temperature sensor as a water temperature detecting means, the water temperature detecting means when the water temperature sensor detects 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature. Instead of the control based on the detection of the above, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 may be controlled based on the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. Further, after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the ice making operation, it is determined that the start of the ice making operation has ended, and instead of the control based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means, the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 may be controlled based on the above.

The ice making section 11 is cooled in a state where the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled based on the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38, and the ice making water jetted and sent out from the ice making water tank 21 is ice making. It gradually freezes in the small chamber 13, and the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 gradually decreases. To detect the completion of ice making based on the detected temperatures of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38, the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 detected every unit time from the time when the temperature of the ice making portion 11 reaches 0 ° C. , 38 The unit integration value, which is the product of the average temperature and the unit time, is obtained, and when the total addition value obtained by sequentially adding these unit integration values becomes the target integration value, the control device 40 moves the block-shaped ice in the ice making chamber 13. Is formed and the completion of ice making is detected, the drive of the water supply pump 25 is stopped, and the ice making operation is terminated.

In the deicing operation after the ice making operation, the control device 40 opens the hot gas valve 36 with the compressor 31 operated, and tilts the water dish 22 to the open position by the actuator motor 23a of the opening / closing mechanism 23. The hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 through the hot gas pipe 35 to heat each ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. The temperature of the ice making section 11 at the completion of ice making is about −20 ° C., but the ice is separated from the inside of the ice making chamber 13 while the temperature of the ice making section 11 gradually rises. When the average temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 becomes 5 ° C. or higher as a predetermined temperature for detecting that deicing is completed, the control device 40 does not leave ice in the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making section 11. That is, it is detected that the deicing is completed, the hot gas valve 36 is closed, the deicing operation is terminated, and the ice making operation is executed again as described above. In this way, by repeatedly executing the ice making operation and the deicing operation by the control device 40, the ice making unit 11 continuously produces block-shaped ice.

In the ice machine 10 configured as described above, the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38 are provided at the inlet portion 34a and the outlet portion 34b of the refrigerant of the evaporator 34 in the ice making portion 11, and the ice making portion 11 is provided with these. It is cooled by the refrigerating device 30 provided with the electronic expansion valve 33 whose opening degree is controlled based on the difference between the detected temperatures of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38. The ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 circulates between the ice-making unit 11 cooled by the freezing device 30 and is cooled, and the ice-making water is gradually frozen in the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making unit 11 to become ice.

In the ice making machine 10 in which the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 is cooled by circulating it between the ice making section 11 and the ice making water is gradually frozen in the ice making section 11, the temperature of the ice making section 11 is watered at the start of the ice making operation. It is easily affected by the temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 that has just been supplied from the water supply source such as. When the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled based on the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38 at the start of the ice making operation, the temperature of the ice making section 11 becomes larger due to the ice making water ejected from the ice making water tank 21. fluctuate. If the temperature of the ice making section 11 fluctuates greatly, the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 of the ice making section 11 may not be able to accurately detect the temperature, and the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled to have an appropriate opening. There was a risk that it could not be done. If the electronic expansion valve 33 cannot be controlled to have an appropriate opening, the evaporator 34 of the ice making section 11 will run out of refrigerant, or the refrigerant cannot be completely evaporated by the evaporator 34 and the compressor 31 will return to liquid. There was a risk that the compressor 31 would be damaged.

The ice making machine 10 is provided with a water temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21, and the control device 40 opens the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation. Was controlled to adjust. The control device 40 is an electronic expansion valve 33 even when the temperature of the ice making unit 11 is likely to fluctuate due to the influence of the temperature of the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 just supplied from the water supply source, such as at the start of the ice making operation. The opening degree can be controlled according to the temperature of the ice-making water jetted and sent out from the ice-making water tank 21. As a result, it is possible to prevent the evaporator 34 of the ice making unit 11 from running out of refrigerant, and when the water temperature of the ice making water detected by the water temperature detecting means is low, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is reduced. By controlling, it has become possible to prevent the refrigerant from being completely evaporated by the evaporator 34 of the ice making unit 11 and causing liquid return to the compressor 31.

Further, in the water temperature detecting means of this embodiment, after the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 is jetted and sent out to each ice making small chamber 13 of the ice making section 11, the temperature of the ice making section 11 is 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is detected by the time until it becomes. Further, when the control device 40 controls the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation, the electronic expansion valve 33 is set in the water temperature range including the temperature detected by the water temperature detecting means. It is controlled so that the opening degree is. Specifically, in this water temperature detecting means, after the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is jetted and sent out to each ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making section 11, the temperature of the ice-making section 11 is set to 0 ° C. The temperature range of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 21 is detected by the time until the temperature reaches 0 ° C., and the time until the temperature of the ice-making part 11 reaches 0 ° C. as a predetermined temperature is within 3 minutes. The water temperature of the ice making water is detected as a low temperature, the water temperature of the ice making water is detected as a medium temperature when the water temperature is 3 to 5 minutes, and the water temperature of the ice making water is detected as a high temperature when the water temperature is longer than 5 minutes. When the ice-making water is detected as low temperature, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is 25% or less, and when the ice-making water is detected as medium temperature, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is more than 25% and 50% or less. The range and the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 are controlled to exceed 50% and become 100% when the ice-making water is detected as high temperature by the water temperature detecting means.

In this way, the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 according to the water temperature range of the ice-making water of the ice-making water tank 21 is set, and the control device 40 sets the water temperature range (low temperature, medium temperature, or) including the temperature detected by the water temperature detecting means. Since the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is controlled according to the high temperature), the processing load of the control device 40 can be reduced. The present invention is not limited to the above water temperature range, and the water temperature range may be set to two (low temperature and high temperature), or the processing load of the control device 40 may be slightly increased, but the water temperature range may be set in detail. It may be a thing. Further, when the ice making water tank 21 is provided with the water temperature sensor, the processing load of the control device 40 cannot be reduced, but the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 is changed according to the change of the water temperature sensor, for example, every 1 ° C. It may be controlled to be adjusted.

Further, in the ice making machine 10, in the ice making operation, even when the temperature of the ice making section 11 is likely to fluctuate due to the ice making water in the ice making water tank 21 such as at the start of the ice making operation, the temperature is detected by the water temperature detecting means. By controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve 33 based on this, not only can the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the temperature of the ice making water be sent to the evaporator 34 at the start of the ice making operation, but also the inside of the ice making water tank 21 after the start of the ice making operation. After the ice-making water is cooled to 0 ° C., the detection temperatures of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37 and 38 (inlet and outlet temperature sensors 37) are not related to the temperature of the original ice-making water supplied from the water source. By controlling the electronic expansion valve 33 based on the difference between became.

In the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, the control device 40 detects the temperature of the ice maker 11 by using the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38 when the water temperature detecting means is executed. Is not limited to this, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of, for example, the central portion of the ice making portion 11 may be provided.

In the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, the control device 40 controls the electronic expansion valve 33 by detecting the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation, and then the difference between the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the electronic expansion is performed by using the detection temperature of at least one of the inlet temperature sensor 37 and the outlet temperature sensor 38. The opening degree of the valve 33 may be controlled.

In the ice making machine of this embodiment, a large number of downwardly open ice making chambers 13 provided in the ice making portion 11 are closed by the water tray 22 so as to be openable and closable, and ice making water is jetted and supplied from the water tray 22 to each ice making chamber 13. This is a so-called closed cell type ice maker that produces ice, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is a so-called open cell type ice maker that jets and supplies ice making water with the ice making chamber open. It may be a flow-down type ice making machine in which the ice making chamber is opened in the horizontal direction and the ice making water is allowed to flow down into the ice making chamber, or the ice making water is allowed to flow down to the ice making plate which is vertically erected. May be good.

10 ... Ice maker, 11 ... Ice making section, 21 ... Ice making water tank, 25 ... Water pump, 31 ... Compressor, 32 ... Condenser, 33 ... Electronic expansion valve, 34 ... Evaporator, 34a ... Inlet, 34b ... Outlet Unit, 37 ... inlet temperature sensor, 38 ... outlet temperature sensor, 40 ... control device.

Claims (3)

The ice making department that freezes ice making water to make ice,
An ice-making water tank that stores ice-making water that is circulated and supplied to and from the ice-making part,
A water pump that sends the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank to the ice-making part,
A compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor, an electronic expansion valve that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied by the condenser, and an electronic expansion valve that expands. A refrigerating device having an evaporator that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant and cools the ice making section.
A control device for controlling the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is provided.
In the ice making operation of producing ice in the ice making section, the liquefied refrigerant pumped from the compressor and liquefied by the condenser is expanded by the electronic expansion valve whose opening degree is controlled by the control device to expand. The ice making section is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant vaporized by the evaporator.
Ice making that unfrozen ice making water is collected in the ice making water tank while cooling the ice making water sent by the water feed pump in the cooled ice making section, and the ice making water is gradually frozen in the ice making section to produce ice. It ’s a machine,
A water temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank is provided.
The control device is an ice making machine characterized in that the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is controlled based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation. In the ice machine according to claim 1,
The opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is set according to the water temperature range of the ice-making water of the ice-making water tank.
The control device is an ice maker, characterized in that the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is controlled according to the water temperature range including the temperature detected by the water temperature detecting means. In the ice machine according to claim 1 or 2.
An inlet temperature sensor and an outlet temperature sensor are provided at the inlet and outlet of the refrigerant of the evaporator in the ice making section.
In the ice making operation, the control device controls the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve based on the detection of the water temperature detecting means at the start of the ice making operation, and then determines the detection temperature of the inlet and outlet temperature sensors. An ice maker characterized in that the opening degree of the electronic expansion valve is controlled based on the control.

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