JP7505966B2 - Ice maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ice maker that reduces the amount of ice produced during the night, when ice consumption is reduced.

In relation to the present invention, Patent Document 1 discloses an operation control device for an ice maker equipped with a storage means for storing ice consumption time periods. This operation control device is configured to command ice-making operation only when the ice storage sensor detects a shortage of ice in the ice storage bin and the current time is within the ice consumption time period or a specified time period (e.g., two hours) before that. This operation control device makes it possible to avoid unnecessary ice-making during times when ice is not being used, such as midnight. Patent Document 1 also discloses that a door switch detects the opening and closing of the ice storage bin door, and if there is a lot of opening and closing, ice-making can be performed even outside of the consumption time period.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-227547

Restaurants and other establishments that use ice can reduce the power consumption and water consumption of the ice maker by installing ice makers that stop making ice outside business hours (such as at night) when ice is not normally used. However, this has the drawback of being unable to meet sudden demand for ice outside business hours. In other words, when demand for ice occurs outside business hours, it is easy for ice shortages to occur when the demand exceeds the amount of ice stored in the ice storage. As described above, in Patent Document 1, ice is made even outside of consumption hours if the ice storage door is opened and closed frequently, so it is possible to meet sudden demand for ice outside business hours to some extent. However, since the control only starts making ice when the door is opened and closed, for example, if there is not much ice left when the store closes and a demand for ice occurs several hours later without the door being opened and closed, the ice will melt and there will be very little left, making it easy for ice shortages to occur.

The present invention aims to provide an ice maker that can reduce the amount of ice made during the night when ice consumption is low, while still ensuring the minimum amount of ice storage necessary in case of sudden demand for ice.

The ice maker according to the present invention includes ice-making mechanism 1 for producing ice by freezing ice-making water, ice storage 2 for storing the ice produced by ice-making mechanism 1, ice storage sensor 10 for detecting whether ice storage 2 is full of ice, ice-making control unit 20 for commanding ice-making operation to ice-making mechanism 1, mode selection unit 23 for selecting, as an operation mode of ice-making control unit 20, a normal mode for the purpose of maintaining ice storage 2 full of ice or a suppression mode for suppressing the amount of ice made compared to the normal mode , timer unit 21 for measuring time, and memory unit 22 for storing low demand time periods during which ice consumption is reduced . In the normal mode, ice-making control unit 20 immediately commands ice-making operation when ice storage sensor 10 detects that ice storage 2 is not full of ice, while in the suppression mode, ice-making control unit 20 waits for a predetermined extension time Te to elapse before commanding ice-making operation when ice storage sensor 10 detects that ice storage 2 is not full of ice . The mode selection unit 23 selects the normal mode if the time output from the timer unit 21 is not within the low demand time period, and even if the time becomes the start time of the low demand time period, continues the normal mode until the ice storage sensor 10 detects a full ice state, and then switches to the suppression mode after the full ice state is detected .

The ice maker is equipped with an outside air temperature sensor 29 that detects the ambient temperature, and the extension time Te is set based on the ambient temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 29.

The system includes a human presence sensor 16 that detects contact or proximity of a user, and a cycle setting unit 25 that automatically sets low-demand time periods in response to the output of the human presence sensor 16 and stores the low-demand time periods in the memory unit 22. The cycle setting unit 25 sequentially executes the steps of dividing the 24 hours from the start of its operation into a number of periods, recording for each period whether or not the human presence sensor 16 has detected a user, and searching for a group of periods in which a predetermined number or more of consecutive periods in which no user has been detected, and sets the time periods corresponding to the group of periods as low-demand time periods.

It is equipped with a human presence sensor 16 that detects the contact or proximity of a user, and when the human presence sensor 16 detects a user while the ice making control unit 20 is in suppression mode, the mode selection unit 23 transitions the ice making control unit 20 to normal mode.

The ice making machine according to the present invention has a normal mode for the purpose of keeping the ice storage 2 full of ice, and a suppression mode for suppressing the amount of ice made compared to the normal mode. In the normal mode, the ice making control unit 20 immediately commands the ice making mechanism 1 to make ice when the ice storage sensor 10 detects that the ice storage 2 is not full of ice, just like a general ice making machine. On the other hand, in the suppression mode, the ice making control unit 20 does not immediately command the ice making operation even if it detects that the ice storage 2 is not full of ice, but waits for the specified extension time Te to elapse before commanding the ice making operation. In other words, in the suppression mode, the ice making operation is performed less frequently than in the normal mode. By selecting this suppression mode at night, when the amount of ice consumed is reduced, restaurants and other establishments in which ice making machines are installed can suppress the amount of ice made, reduce the power consumption and water consumption of the ice making machine, and ensure the minimum amount of ice storage required in preparation for sudden demand for ice.

The extension time Te can be set based on the ambient temperature of the ice maker detected by the outside air temperature sensor 29. According to this, when the temperature is high and the ice in the ice storage bin 2 melts relatively easily, the extension time Te can be set relatively short to increase the frequency of ice-making operations, thereby ensuring an appropriate amount of ice storage until the end of the suppression mode. Also, when the temperature is low and the ice in the ice storage bin 2 melts relatively slowly, the extension time Te can be set relatively long to reduce the frequency of ice-making operations, thereby preventing the amount of ice stored during the suppression mode from becoming more than necessary, and reducing the power consumption and water consumption of the ice maker.

Even when the start time of the low demand period stored in the memory unit 22 arrives, the normal mode continues until the ice storage sensor 10 detects a full ice state, after which the system can switch to suppression mode. This ensures that suppression mode always starts in a full ice state, ensuring sufficient ice storage even during suppression mode, and therefore enabling more reliable response to sudden demand for ice during low demand periods.

The cycle setting unit 25 sequentially executes the steps of dividing the 24 hours from the start of its operation into multiple periods, recording for each period whether the human presence sensor 16 detects a user, and searching for a group of periods in which a predetermined number of consecutive periods in which no user is detected, and can set the time period corresponding to the group of periods as a low-demand time period. This method makes it possible to avoid setting an extremely short low-demand time period, and can prevent a situation in which, for example, a short break time such as a store's lunch break is set as a low-demand time period, resulting in a shortage of ice after the break time.

If the ice maker is equipped with a human presence sensor 16 that detects contact or proximity of a user, it can detect the activity of staff outside business hours in a store such as a restaurant in which the ice maker is installed, and from this it can be inferred that there is a demand for ice. In such a case, the demand for ice outside business hours can be appropriately responded to by switching the ice making control unit 20 from suppression mode to normal mode and increasing the frequency of ice making operations.

2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the ice making machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of the ice making machine. 5 is a flowchart relating to the selection of an operation mode of the ice making control unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a period related to setting of a low-demand time period. This is a flowchart showing the procedure for recording whether the ice storage door is open (whether the interior light is on) for each period. 13 is a table showing an example of records for each period. 10 is a flowchart showing ice making control when a normal mode is selected. 5 is a timing chart showing an example of the output of the ice storage sensor and the operation of the ice making mechanism during normal hours. 10 is a flowchart showing ice making control when the suppression mode is selected. 6 is a timing chart showing an example of the output of the ice storage sensor and the operation of the ice making mechanism during a low demand period.

(Example) An example of the ice making machine according to the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to 10. In Fig. 2, the ice making machine includes an ice making mechanism 1 that freezes ice making water to make ice, and an ice storage 2 that stores the ice made by the ice making mechanism 1. One side of the insulating wall that constitutes the ice storage 2 is provided with an ice outlet 4 that is opened and closed by a door 3. The ice making mechanism 1 is composed of an ice making unit 6 housed in the upper part of the ice storage 2, and a refrigeration device 8 installed in a machine room 7 outside the ice storage 2. Ice can be made by supplying low-temperature refrigerant liquid from the refrigeration device 8 to the ice making mold 9 of the ice making unit 6, and freezing the ice making water in the ice making mold 9 cooled below freezing. The ice making machine shown in Fig. 2 is a cell type ice making machine that makes cube ice, but the present invention can also be applied to an auger type ice making machine that makes flake ice.

On the inner wall surface of the ice storage 2, an ice storage sensor 10 is provided to detect whether the inside of the ice storage 2 is full of ice. In this embodiment, the ice storage sensor 10 is composed of a light emitting element 11 and a light receiving element 12 that face each other across the ice storage space, and when the ice storage 2 is full of ice, the light from the light emitting element 11 to the light receiving element 12 is blocked by the ice. In a non-full ice state where the light receiving element 12 receives the light of the light emitting element 11, the ice storage sensor 10 outputs an off signal, and in a full ice state where the light receiving element 12 does not receive the light of the light emitting element 11, the ice storage sensor 10 outputs an on signal. Of course, the output of the off signal and the on signal of the ice storage sensor 10 may be reversed. The ice storage sensor 10 may also be a switch that detects the presence or absence of contact with ice, and the switch outputs an off signal (or on signal) when ice does not touch the switch as a non-full ice state, and outputs an on signal (or off signal) when ice touches the switch as a full ice state.

The ice storage cabinet 2 is also provided with an interior light 15 that illuminates the interior when the door 3 is open. An LED that generates a relatively small amount of heat is used for the interior light 15. The open/close state of the door 3 is detected by a human presence sensor 16 (see Figure 1), and the interior light 15 is controlled to be turned on/off in response to the output of the human presence sensor 16. That is, while the door 3 is open, the human presence sensor 16 outputs an on signal, and in response, the interior light 15 turns on. While the door 3 is closed, the human presence sensor 16 outputs an off signal, and in response, the interior light 15 remains off. Here too, the output of the on and off signals from the human presence sensor 16 may be reversed.

The human presence sensor 16 in this embodiment is a motion detection sensor that detects the movement of the door 3, but may also be, for example, a so-called door switch that mechanically detects the open/closed state of the door 3. Other examples include a capacitive touch sensor or pressure sensor that detects when a user touches the handle of the door 3, an infrared sensor that detects the body temperature of a user standing near the ice maker, and a light intensity sensor that detects the lighting status of a store or the like in which the ice maker is installed. In short, the human presence sensor 16 may be anything that can detect a user's contact with or proximity to the ice maker.

In FIG. 1, the control system of the ice maker has an ice making control unit 20 that commands the ice making mechanism 1 (ice making unit 6, refrigeration device 8) to perform ice making operation. The ice making operation is composed of an ice making process in which ice making water is frozen in each cell by cooling the ice making mold 9, and an ice release process in which ice making mold 9 is heated to release ice from each cell. The ice making control unit 20 has two operation modes, one of which is a normal mode aimed at keeping the ice storage 2 full of ice, and the other is a suppression mode which suppresses the amount of ice made compared to the normal mode. Details of each mode will be described later. Furthermore, the control system includes a time keeping unit 21 that keeps the current time, a memory unit 22 that stores low demand time periods when ice consumption is reduced, and a mode selection unit 23 that selects the operation mode of the ice making control unit 20.

As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the mode selection unit 23 first selects the normal mode (step S1) and waits for the ice storage sensor 10 to detect a full ice state (step S2). When a full ice state is detected (YES in step S2), the process proceeds to the next step S3. Here, the low demand time period stored in the memory unit 22 is referenced, and if the current time output from the timer unit 21 is not within the low demand time period (NO in step S3), the process returns to step S1 and continues the normal mode. Conversely, if the current time is within the low demand time period (YES in step S3), the mode selection unit 23 selects the suppression mode instead of the normal mode (step S4). After switching to the suppression mode, the suppression mode continues until the end time of the low demand time period, and at that end time, the process returns to the normal mode (NO in step S3 → step S1). However, if the door 3 is opened during the suppression mode and the interior light 15 is turned on (YES in step S5), it is assumed that demand for ice has occurred, so the process returns to step S1 at that point and the normal mode is restored. In addition, a condition for switching from normal mode to suppression mode can be added that the ambient temperature of the ice maker detected by the outside air temperature sensor 29 (see Figure 1) is room temperature (e.g., 40°C or lower).

The low-demand time periods stored in memory unit 22 may be manually input by the user by operating the ice maker, or may be set uniformly when the ice maker is shipped from the factory. Alternatively, they may be automatically set according to the usage conditions when the ice maker is initially started. This automatic setting is explained below. Roughly speaking, cycle setting unit 25 (see FIG. 1) included in the control system monitors the on/off state of interior light 15 over a 24-hour period, and sets the time period during which interior light 15 remains off, i.e., the time period during which door 3 remains closed, as the low-demand time period, and stores this in memory unit 22. The details of this procedure are explained below with a specific example.

First, the cycle setting unit 25 divides the 24 hours from an arbitrary start time (here, 12:00 p.m.) to the same time the next day into a number of periods of a predetermined length of time. Here, the length of the predetermined length of time, i.e., one period, is set to one hour, and the 24 hours are divided into 24 periods (first period P(1) to twenty-fourth period P(24)) (see FIG. 4).

Next, the cycle setting unit 25 starts monitoring the on/off state of the interior light 15 and records whether the door 3 is open for each period. As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, the cycle setting unit 25 starts timing using the timer 26 (see FIG. 1) at the same time as the start of the period (step S11). If the interior light 15 is turned on before the above-mentioned predetermined time (1 hour) has elapsed (YES in step S12), the period is recorded as ON (lighted) (step S13). On the other hand, if the predetermined time has elapsed without the interior light 15 being turned on (YES in step S14), the period is recorded as OFF (not lighted) (step S15).

When a predetermined time (1 hour) has elapsed since the start of timing (YES in step S16 or step S14), the period ends, and if the period is not the final period (the 24th period in this embodiment) (NO in step S17), the variable i (initial value is "1") indicating the period number is incremented by one (step S18), and the process returns to step S11 to start the next period. This process is repeated until the final 24th period ends (YES in step S17).

When the 24th period ends, the cycle setting unit 25 refers to the records (ON or OFF) from the 1st period to the 24th period, searches for a group of periods in which OFF (no light) continues for a predetermined number of times or more, sets the time period corresponding to the group of periods as a low-demand time period, and stores it in the memory unit 22. In this embodiment, the predetermined number is set to "6", and the time period in which the interior light 15 was not turned on for six hours or more, in other words, the time period in which the door 3 was not opened for six hours or more, is set as a low-demand time period. In the example shown in Figure 6, the group of periods P(12) to P(19) with eight consecutive OFFs, i.e., 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM, is set as a low-demand time period.

This concludes the explanation of the automatic setting of low-demand time periods. Note that, instead of setting the time periods when door 3 is not open as the low-demand time periods, the low-demand time periods may be set to time periods when door 3 is opened less frequently (for example, once an hour or less). Furthermore, when automatically setting the low-demand time periods, instead of having clock unit 21 clock the actual current time (so-called standard time) that the user uses on a daily basis, clock unit 21 clocks an internal time of the ice maker that is different from the current time, and the low-demand time periods may be set in accordance with that internal time.

In this embodiment, the cycle setting unit 25 sets the low demand time period in response to the on/off state of the interior light 15, which is controlled in response to the output of the human presence sensor 16. In other words, the output of the human presence sensor 16 is indirectly transmitted to the cycle setting unit 25 via the interior light 15. However, instead, the output of the human presence sensor 16 may be directly transmitted to the cycle setting unit 25. The same applies to the output from the human presence sensor 16 to the mode selection unit 23. The present invention can also be applied to ice makers that are not equipped with an interior light 15 but only with a human presence sensor 16.

Next, each operation mode of the ice making control unit 20 will be explained. First, the normal mode is the operation mode of a general ice maker. Specifically, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the ice making control unit 20 checks the output of the ice storage sensor 10 (step S21), and if the output is off, i.e., the ice storage is not full (NO in step S21), it commands the ice making mechanism 1 to perform ice making operation (step S22). After the ice making operation is completed, it returns to step S21 and checks the output of the ice storage sensor 10 again. This is repeated until the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is on, i.e., the ice storage is full (YES in step S21). After the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is turned on, it waits until the amount of ice stored in the ice storage 2 decreases and the output is turned off again, and when it is turned off, it commands the ice making operation again. In this way, in the normal mode, the ice making mechanism 1 is controlled with the aim of maintaining the ice storage 2 in a full ice state.

The timing chart in Figure 8 shows an example of the output of ice storage sensor 10 and the operation of ice making mechanism 1 during normal hours (hours excluding low demand hours of the day). As previously shown in the flowchart in Figure 3, normal mode is always selected during normal hours. At the first time t1, the output of ice storage sensor 10 switches from on to off, and from this point until time t2 when the output switches back on, ice making operation consisting of an ice making process and an ice release process is repeatedly executed. Note that if the output of ice storage sensor 10 switches on during ice making operation (when the ice is full), the ice making operation will end and then the system will switch to standby mode.

From time t2 when the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched on to time t3 when the output is switched off again, the ice making mechanism 1 is in a standby state. If the on time Ton during which the ice storage sensor 10 outputs an on signal becomes shorter than the protection time (e.g., about 5 minutes) of the compressor that constitutes the refrigeration device 8, the ice making operation is not commanded immediately after the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched off, but is commanded after the above protection time has elapsed.

The control procedure for the suppression mode selected during low demand periods is shown in the flowchart of Figure 9. As previously shown in the flowchart of Figure 3, ice storage bin 2 is always full of ice when switching to suppression mode. When suppression mode is started, ice making control unit 20 waits until the amount of ice stored in ice storage bin 2 decreases (the ice melts) and the ice storage bin is no longer full of ice (step S31).

Even if ice storage 2 is not full of ice, in suppression mode, ice-making operation is not started immediately as in normal mode, but rather waits for a predetermined extension time Te to elapse before starting ice-making operation. That is, when the output of ice storage sensor 10 is switched off (NO in step S31), ice-making control unit 20 starts timing using timer 28 (see FIG. 1) (step S32), and when the elapsed time T since the start of timing reaches extension time Te (YES in step S33), it resets timer 28 and commands ice-making operation (steps S34-S35).

After performing the ice-making operation once in step S35, return to step S31 to check the output of ice storage sensor 10. If the output of ice storage sensor 10 is on, i.e., the ice storage is full, wait until the output is off, i.e., the ice storage is not full, and then proceed to step S32. Conversely, if the output of ice storage sensor 10 is still off, i.e., the ice storage is not full after performing the ice-making operation in step S35, immediately start counting by timer 28, and wait for the extension time Te to elapse before commanding ice-making operation (steps S32 to S35).

The extension time Te will now be described. The extension time Te is set based on the ambient temperature of the ice maker detected by the outdoor air temperature sensor 29. The ice making control unit 20 refers to the detection value of the outdoor air temperature sensor 29 when the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched off (YES in step S31) and sets the extension time Te according to the detection value. When the ambient temperature of the ice maker is high and the ice in the ice storage 2 melts relatively easily, the extension time Te is set shorter than when it is low. In this embodiment, the threshold value that is the boundary between high and low temperatures is set to 25°C, and the extension time Te at high temperatures (ambient temperature above the threshold) is set to 180 minutes, and the extension time Te at low temperatures (ambient temperature below the threshold) is set to 600 minutes. However, when the outdoor air temperature sensor 29 detects an extremely high ambient temperature, for example, exceeding 40°C, the extension time Te is set to zero, and when the ice storage sensor 10 outputs off, the ice making control unit 20 immediately commands ice making operation. At high temperatures, the extension time Te can be set to a short time to increase the frequency of ice-making operations, ensuring an appropriate amount of ice storage until the end of the suppression mode. At low temperatures, the extension time Te can be set to a long time to reduce the frequency of ice-making operations, preventing the amount of ice stored during the suppression mode from becoming greater than necessary, thereby reducing the power consumption and water consumption of the ice maker.

The timing chart in Figure 10 shows an example of the output of ice storage sensor 10 and the operation of ice making mechanism 1 during a low demand period. The first time point t11 is the start time of the low demand period (the end time of the normal period) stored in memory unit 22. At this point, the output of ice storage sensor 10 is still off (NO in step S2 in Figure 3), so ice making control unit 20 continues to be maintained in normal mode. Ice making operation is repeatedly performed (steps S21-S22 in Figure 7) until the output of ice storage sensor 10 switches on at the next time point t12.

At time t12, the output of ice storage sensor 10 is switched ON, causing ice making control unit 20 to transition from normal mode to suppression mode (steps S2-S4 in FIG. 3). At the next time t13, the amount of ice stored in ice storage 2 decreases due to melting of ice, etc., and the output of ice storage sensor 10 is switched OFF, causing timer 28 to start timing (steps S31-S32 in FIG. 9). At the next time t14, the elapsed time T from time t13 reaches extension time Te, and ice making operation by ice making mechanism 1 is started (steps S33-S35).

The next time point t15 indicates the case where the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched on after one ice-making operation has been performed. In this case, the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched off again, and then the timer 28 starts timing (time point t16). The next time point t17 indicates the case where the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is still off after one ice-making operation has been performed, and in this case the timer 28 starts timing immediately. Note that the extension time Te is reset each time the output of the ice storage sensor 10 is switched off, so the ambient temperature of the ice maker may fluctuate during the suppression mode, and the value of the extension time Te may change accordingly.

As described above, the ice making machine according to this embodiment has a normal mode for the purpose of keeping the ice storage 2 full of ice, as well as a suppression mode for suppressing the amount of ice made compared to the normal mode. In the normal mode, the ice making control unit 20 immediately commands the ice making mechanism 1 to make ice when the ice storage sensor 10 detects that the ice storage 2 is not full of ice, as in a general ice making machine. On the other hand, in the suppression mode, the ice making control unit 20 does not immediately command the ice making operation even if it detects that the ice storage 2 is not full of ice, but waits for the specified extension time Te to elapse before commanding the ice making operation. In other words, in the suppression mode, the ice making operation is performed less frequently than in the normal mode. By selecting this suppression mode during low demand times such as at night, restaurants and other establishments in which ice making machines are installed can suppress the amount of ice made, reduce the power consumption and water consumption of the ice making machine, and ensure the minimum amount of ice storage required in preparation for sudden demand for ice. In addition, in this embodiment, the suppression mode is always started when the ice storage is full, so a sufficient amount of ice can be stored even during the suppression mode, and therefore sudden demand for ice during low demand periods can be more reliably met.

In addition to the above, the mode selection unit 23 that selects the operation mode of the ice making control unit 20 may select the normal mode or the suppression mode in response to manual operation of the operation panel by the user. The memory unit 22 may store the normal time period (the time period during which ice is consumed) like the memory means of Patent Document 1, or may store both the normal time period and the low demand time period.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Ice making mechanism 2 Ice storage 10 Ice storage sensor 16 Human presence sensor 20 Ice making control section 21 Time keeping section 22 Memory section 23 Mode selection section 25 Period setting section 29 Outside air temperature sensor

Claims (4)

An ice-making mechanism (1) for producing ice by freezing ice-making water;
an ice storage (2) for storing ice produced by the ice making mechanism (1);
an ice storage sensor (10) for detecting whether the ice storage (2) is full of ice;
an ice making control unit (20) for commanding the ice making mechanism (1) to perform ice making operation;
a mode selection unit (23) for selecting, as an operation mode of the ice making control unit (20), a normal mode for the purpose of keeping the ice storage (2) full of ice, or a suppression mode for suppressing the amount of ice made compared to the normal mode;
A timekeeping unit (21) that keeps time;
a memory unit (22) for storing low demand time periods during which ice consumption is reduced;
Equipped with
In the normal mode, the ice making control unit (20) immediately commands ice making operation when the ice storage sensor (10) detects that the ice storage (2) is not full of ice,
When the ice storage sensor (10) detects that the ice storage (2) is not full of ice in the suppression mode, the ice making control unit (20) waits for a predetermined extension time (Te) to elapse before instructing ice making operation .
The ice making machine is characterized in that a mode selection unit (23) selects the normal mode if the time output from the timer unit (21) is not within a low demand time period, and even if the time becomes the start time of the low demand time period, the normal mode is continued until the ice storage sensor (10) detects a full ice state, and then the mode is switched to the suppression mode after the full ice state is detected . The ice maker is provided with an outside air temperature sensor (29) for detecting the ambient temperature of the ice maker,
2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the extension time (Te) is set based on an ambient temperature detected by an outside air temperature sensor (29). The device is provided with a human presence sensor (16) that detects contact or proximity of a user, and a cycle setting unit (25) that automatically sets a low-demand time period in response to an output of the human presence sensor (16) and stores the period in a storage unit (22),
A period setting unit (25),
Dividing a 24-hour period from the start of the operation into a number of periods;
A step of recording whether or not a user is detected by a human presence sensor (16) for each period;
A step of searching for a group of periods including a predetermined number or more of consecutive periods that do not detect a user;
2. The ice making machine according to claim 1 , wherein the above steps are executed in sequence, and a time period corresponding to the group of periods is set as a low demand time period . The device is provided with a human presence sensor (16) for detecting contact or proximity of a user,
4. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein when the human presence sensor (16) detects a user while the ice making control unit (20) is in suppression mode, the mode selection unit (23) transitions the ice making control unit (20) to normal mode .

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