JP7548840B2 - Ice maker - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ice maker.

Conventionally, the ice maker described in Patent Document 1 is known. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses that the ice maker (ice making machine) includes a reservoir that holds water, a transport conduit that transports water from the reservoir, an evaporator plate that receives water from the transport conduit and forms ice, and a treatment device that sterilizes the water flowing through the transport conduit. The water flowing from the evaporator plate accumulates in the reservoir as recirculated water.

Special table 2002-541420

However, with the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, if ice begins to form on the evaporator plate before the water being supplied to and circulating within the ice maker has been sufficiently sterilized, there is a risk that ice containing bacteria, viruses, etc. will be produced. Therefore, it is possible to keep the sterilization device (treatment device) running at all times to completely sterilize the water in the ice maker, but in that case, the lifespan of the sterilization device may be shortened.

The present invention was developed based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide a practical ice maker that can effectively sterilize water.

The present invention is an ice making machine comprising a tank capable of storing water therein, an ice making unit that freezes water supplied from the tank to produce ice, a pump that supplies water to the ice making unit, a sterilization device that sterilizes at least the water, and a control unit. The ice making unit comprises an ice making plate that freezes flowing water to produce ice. The ice making machine is configured to circulate water between the tank and the ice making unit by driving the pump, and the sterilization device is provided in a position where the circulating water can be sterilized. The control unit is characterized in that it comprises an ice making control unit that controls at least the pump to repeat a production operation in which the pump is driven to circulate water and produce ice on the ice making plate, and a de-icing operation in which the produced ice is removed from the ice making plate, and a sterilization control unit that turns on the sterilization device during the production operation until ice adheres to the ice making plate, and turns off the sterilization device after ice adheres to the ice making plate during the production operation and during the de-icing operation.

In this type of ice maker, the sterilizer is turned on while water is circulating between the tank and the ice making section during production operation and before ice adheres to the ice making plate, thereby sufficiently sterilizing the water supplied to the tank and circulating. In addition, by turning the sterilizer off after ice adheres to the ice making plate during production operation and during de-icing operation, the operation of the sterilizer can be minimized and its lifespan can be extended.

The ice making machine may also include a water level detection unit that detects the water level of the water stored inside the tank, and the sterilization control unit may determine that the ice is about to adhere to the ice making plate when the water level detected by the water level detection unit during the generation operation is higher than a predetermined water level, and may determine that the ice has already adhered to the ice making plate when the water level detected by the water level detection unit during the generation operation is lower than or equal to the predetermined water level.

With this type of ice maker, it is easy to determine whether ice is forming before or after it has adhered to the ice making plate during ice making operation. Even if the time it takes for ice to form varies for each cycle of repeated ice making and deicing operations or for each operating date and time due to the influence of outside temperature, etc., the water supplied to the tank and circulated can be sterilized according to the circumstances of each cycle, etc.

In the above configuration, the sterilization device may be an ultraviolet ray irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays, and may be provided in a position where it can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the water stored inside the tank. With this type of ice maker, a relatively large amount of water that is supplied to and circulated in the tank can be sterilized inside the tank, which is effective.

In the above configuration, the sterilization device may be an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays and is provided in a position where it can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the ice-making plate, and the ice-making unit may be provided in a position opposite the ice-making plate and include a reflecting unit that reflects ultraviolet rays. With this ice-making machine, the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet irradiation device toward the ice-making plate and reflected by the ice-making plate can be reflected back toward the ice-making plate by the reflecting unit provided in a position opposite the ice-making plate. This allows ultraviolet rays to be efficiently irradiated over a wide area of the ice-making plate, and water flowing down the ice-making plate and ice produced by the ice-making plate can be more effectively sterilized.

In the above configuration, the sterilizer may be provided in a position in contact with the pump. With such an ice maker, heat generated by the pump can be conducted to the sterilizer, and condensation can be prevented from occurring in the sterilizer.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a practical ice maker that can effectively sterilize water.

Schematic diagram of an ice maker according to embodiment 1. Cross-section of an ice maker Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the ice maker Flowchart showing the flow of ice generation and de-icing operations A timing chart showing irradiation timing of an ultraviolet irradiation device Cross-sectional view of an ice maker according to a second embodiment Schematic diagram of an ice maker according to a third embodiment

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. In this embodiment, a flow-down type ice-making machine 10 is exemplified as an ice-making machine. As shown in Fig. 1, the ice-making machine 10 includes an ice-making unit 11 that produces ice I by freezing water, a cooling device 40 that cools the ice-making unit 11 (more specifically, each ice-making plate 12 provided in the ice-making unit 11), a tank 13 that stores water supplied to the ice-making unit 11, an ice storage 14 that stores ice produced by the ice-making unit 11, and a pump 15 that supplies the water stored in the tank 13 to the ice-making unit 11. Ice maker 10 also includes a first water pipe 18 connecting ice making section 11 and pump 15, a drain pipe 20 pulled out from the middle of first water pipe 18 for draining water from tank 13 to the outside, a drain valve 21 for opening and closing drain pipe 20, a water supply pipe 29 connected to a water pipe 31, a water supply valve 30 for opening and closing water supply pipe 29, a second water pipe 32 connecting drain pipe 20 and water supply pipe 29, and a water supply valve 34 for opening and closing second water pipe 32.

The cooling device 40 includes a compressor 41, a condenser 42, an expansion valve (capillary tube) 43, and an evaporation tube 44, which are connected by a refrigerant tube 45 to form a known vapor compression refrigeration circuit (refrigeration cycle). The cooling device 40 also includes a condenser fan 46 for air-cooling the condenser 42, and a dryer 47 for removing moisture that has entered the refrigeration circuit. The evaporation tube 44 is soldered in a serpentine shape between the two ice-making plates 12, and cools the ice-making plates 12 by vaporizing the liquid refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 43. An ice-making section temperature sensor (thermistor, etc.) 16 for detecting the temperature of the ice-making plates 12 is provided near the outlet of the evaporation tube 44 in the refrigerant tube 45.

The cooling device 40 includes a bypass pipe 49 for supplying the refrigerant gas (hot gas) compressed by the compressor 41 to the evaporation pipe 44, and a hot gas valve 50, which is an electromagnetic valve provided on the bypass pipe 49. By opening the hot gas valve 50, the refrigerant gas (hot gas) is supplied from the compressor 41 to the evaporation pipe 44, and the evaporation pipe 44 can be heated.

The ice making unit 11 includes an ice making plate 12, a first water sprinkler pipe 24 and a water sprinkler guide 25 for sprinkling water for ice making onto the ice making plate 12, and a second water sprinkler pipe 23 capable of sprinkling water to melt ice. A plurality of ice making plates 12 (for example, two in this embodiment) are provided with their plate surfaces hanging down. The two ice making plates 12 are arranged opposite each other, and the non-opposing outer surfaces are the ice making surfaces 12A. The ice making surfaces 12A are separated by a partition (not shown) extending in the vertical direction. Water supplied from the tank 13 to the ice making unit 11 by the drive of the pump 15 is uniformly sprinkled onto each ice making surface 12A by the first water sprinkler pipe 24 and the water sprinkler guide 25 provided on the ice making plate 12, and flows down the ice making surfaces 12A. As shown in FIG. 2, plate-shaped covers 37 are provided on the outside of the two ice-making plates 12 so as to face the ice-making surface 12A. One cover 37 is provided on the front side and one on the rear side of the two ice-making plates 12, and the lower part is bent so as to be close to the cube guide 28.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second sprinkler pipe 23 is provided at the top between the two ice-making plates 12 and is connected to a water pipe 31 via a water supply pipe 29 and a water supply valve 30. By opening the water supply valve 30, water is sprinkled from the second sprinkler pipe 23, and the sprinkled water flows down the back of the ice-making plate 12 (the opposing inner surface, the surface opposite the ice-making surface 12A) and into the tank 13. The second sprinkler pipe 23 has the function of heating the ice-making plate 12 with tap water and the water supply function of supplying tap water to the tank 13.

The tank 13 is disposed below the ice-making plate 12, and unfrozen water that flows down the ice-making plate 12 flows down into the tank 13 and accumulates therein. This allows water to be circulated between the tank 13 and the ice-making unit 11 by driving the pump 15. The tank 13 and the ice-making unit 11 are included in two water flow paths (first water flow path, second water flow path), and the pump 15 can circulate water in each water flow path. The first water flow path is a path that passes from the tank 13 through the pump 15, the first water pipe 18, the first water sprinkling pipe 24, and the ice-making surface 12A of the ice-making plate 12, and returns to the tank 13. The second water flow path is a path that passes from the tank 13 through the pump 15, the first water pipe 18, the drain pipe 20, the second water pipe 32, the water supply pipe 29, the second water sprinkling pipe 23, and the back of the ice-making plate 12, and returns to the tank 13. The first water flow path and the second water flow path can be switched by opening and closing the water flow valve 34.

The tank 13 comprises a box-shaped tank body 26 with an opening at the top, and a lid 27 that partially covers the opening at the top of the tank body 26. The part of the tank body 26 that is not covered by the lid 27 is disposed at a position where water falls from the ice-making plate 12, and a cube guide 28 is interposed between this part and the ice-making plate 12. The cube guide 28 is a grate-like member with multiple through holes, and the water that flows down from the ice-making plate 12 passes through the cube guide 28 and is collected in the tank 13. Meanwhile, the ice that falls from the ice-making plate 12 slides down the cube guide 28 and is thrown into the ice storage 14.

The pump 15 is equipped with a motor with variable rotation speed as a power source, and water is circulated by driving the motor, and the amount of water circulated can be changed by the motor's rotation speed. A float switch (water level detection unit) 17 for detecting the water level stored inside the tank main body 26 is fixed to the lid 27. The float switch 17 has a float (float 17A), and when the float 17A is displaced up and down by buoyancy according to the water level in the tank main body 26, the displacement turns on and off a reed switch included in the main body of the float switch 17. The float switch 17 is capable of detecting two predetermined water levels (lower reference water level L1, upper reference water level L2) using two reed switches.

The tank body 26 is configured to be able to drain water that exceeds the overflow level L3 to the outside of the tank 13 when the water in the tank body 26 exceeds a predetermined overflow level L3. The tank body 26 has a vertical wall 36 provided as an overflow barrier that determines the overflow level L3, and when the water level stored in the tank body 26 exceeds the vertical wall 36 (overflow level L3), the water is drained to the outside of the ice maker 10. The upper reference water level (predetermined water level in this invention) L2 that can be detected by the float switch 17 is set to a value smaller than the overflow level L3, and the relationship is L3>L2>L1.

The lid 27 is also provided with an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 as a sterilizing device for sterilizing water and ice. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 is provided at a position on the upper surface of the lid 27 at the center where it abuts against the pump 15, and is fastened to the lid 27 together with the pump 15. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 is provided with an LED (not shown) as a light source for generating ultraviolet rays provided inside the device, and an ultraviolet ray irradiation surface 90A for emitting (irradiating) the generated ultraviolet rays downward, and can sterilize water stored in the tank main body 26 and circulating between the ice making unit 11 by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays. The wavelength of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a wavelength of about 253.7 nm, which has a significant sterilizing effect, irradiated at a relatively high intensity. The irradiation range of the ultraviolet rays irradiated from the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 may be, for example, a relatively wide range that can irradiate the bottom and side surfaces of the tank main body 26.

The ice storage bin 14 is provided below the tank 13, and ice that slides down the cube guides 28 falls into the ice storage bin and is stored there. Ice that falls into the ice storage bin 14 is stored by piling up from the bottom 14A of the ice storage bin 14. An ice storage sensor 33 is provided at the top of the ice storage bin 14 to detect the amount of ice stored in the ice storage bin 14. The ice storage sensor 33 is an ice storage switch equipped with a flap plate 33A, and when ice piles up in the ice storage bin 14 and it becomes full (an example of the upper limit amount), the flap plate 33A is pushed upward by the ice, and full ice is detected.

Figure 2 is a side view of the cross section of ice-making machine 10, with the left side of the page (door 2 side) being the front side of ice-making machine 10 and the right side being the rear side of ice-making machine 10. Ice-making machine 10 has an overall rectangular parallelepiped shape, with downward-opening door 2 provided at the upper front side for opening and closing ice storage bin 14 to remove ice. Scoop holder 3 is provided on the inner surface 2A1 of door 2 (the surface facing ice storage bin 14) for inserting and storing a scoop (not shown) used to remove ice. A machine room 8 is provided at the lower side of ice-making machine 10 in which compressor 41, condenser 42, etc. are arranged. A piping room 9 in which piping such as refrigerant pipes 45 is provided is provided at the upper rear side of ice-making machine 10.

The ice maker 10 also has an operation panel 5 located below the door 2. By operating the operation panel 5, the user can give instructions to start the ice making operation, which will be described later. The operation panel 5 displays the current operating state (ice making operation or de-icing operation) and various messages. Behind the operation panel 5, a control unit (control board) 6, which is electrically connected to each part of the ice maker 10, is located in an electrical box 7 (control box).

The figure shows the electrical configuration of the ice maker 10. The control unit 6 is electrically connected to the float switch 17, the ice making unit temperature sensor 16, the ice storage sensor 33, and the operation panel 5. The control unit 6 is also electrically connected to the compressor 41, the dryer 47, the hot gas valve 50, the pump 15, the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90, the water supply valve 30, the drain valve 21, and the water flow valve 34. The control unit 6 includes a memory unit 62 that stores the control program and each setting value related to the operation of the ice maker 10, a timer unit 63 that counts the passage of time, an ice making control unit 64 that controls the compressor 41 and the pump 15 to repeat the ice making operation, the ice removal operation, and the like described below, and a sterilization control unit 65 that controls the ON/OFF of ultraviolet ray irradiation by the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90.

Next, the manner in which the control unit 6 controls each unit will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. In Fig. 5, the ice production rate is a value that indicates the size of ice produced on the ice-making plate 12 as a percentage. When the ice production rate is 0%, no ice is produced on the ice-making plate 12. On the other hand, when the ice production rate is 100%, ice of a predetermined size is produced on the ice-making plate 12, and this is the state when the float switch 17 described later detects the lower reference water level L1 (YES in S7 in Fig. 4).

As shown in FIG. 4, when the generation operation (sometimes called ice making operation) is commanded on the operation panel 5 and the ice storage sensor 33 does not detect that the ice storage 14 is full of ice, the generation operation starts (S1). When the generation operation starts, the sterilization control unit 65 turns on the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 to irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the water stored in the tank main body 26 (S2).

The ice-making control unit 64 also opens the water supply valve 30 to supply water to the tank 13 and operates the cooling device 40 to cool the ice-making plate 12 (S3). After the float switch 17 detects the upper reference water level L2, the ice-making control unit 64 continues to supply water to the tank 13 for a predetermined time until the water in the tank 13 overflows the vertical wall portion 36 (exceeds the overflow water level L3). After the predetermined time has elapsed, the ice-making control unit 64 closes the water supply valve 30 to stop the water supply to the tank 13. The ice-making control unit 64 then drives the pump 15 to circulate the water and cause it to flow down from the tank 13 to the ice-making surface 12A of the ice-making plate 12 (S4).

When the water level of the tank 13 detected by the float switch 17 is higher than the upper reference water level L2 (NO in S5), the sterilization control unit 65 determines that it is time for ice to adhere to the ice-making plate 12, and continues to keep the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 ON. When the temperature of the ice-making plate 12 drops sufficiently, ice nuclei (seed ice) begin to adhere to the ice-making surface 12A, centered on the part where the evaporator tube 44 on the back surface is in contact, and this seed ice expands and grows to generate ice I of a predetermined size. As this ice I is generated, the water level stored in the tank 13 drops. When the water level of the tank 13 detected by the float switch 17 is lower than the upper reference water level L2 (the water level of the tank 13 has dropped below the upper reference water level L2) (YES in S5), the sterilization control unit 65 determines that it is time for ice I to adhere to the ice-making plate 12, and changes the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 90 to the OFF state (S6).

When the ice production rate increases (see Figure 5) and the water level stored in the tank 13 drops further, causing the float switch 17 to detect the lower reference water level L1 (YES in S7), the ice making control unit 64 stops the ice production operation (S8) and starts the de-icing operation (S9).

In de-icing operation, the sterilization control unit 65 keeps the ultraviolet irradiator 90 OFF. The ice-making control unit 64 opens the hot gas valve 50 and the water supply valve 30 (S10), and allows water to flow from the second watering pipe 23 to the back of the ice-making plate 12. This warms the ice-making plate 12, and the ice I melts at the part of the ice I that is in contact with the ice-making surface 12A, causing the ice I to peel off and fall from the ice-making surface, and is de-iced.

When the ice making unit temperature sensor 16 detects that the temperature of the ice making plate has reached a predetermined temperature (e.g., 9°C) or higher (YES in S11), the ice making control unit 64 determines that all ice on the ice making surface 12A has been de-iced. The ice making control unit 64 then closes the hot gas valve 50 (S12) and stops the de-icing operation (S13). After the de-icing operation, the ice making control unit 64 may also perform a cleaning operation to clean the inside of the tank 13, etc., using a cleaning device (not shown).

In this way, the ice making control unit 64 repeats the ice making and de-icing operations by returning to S1 and starting the ice making operation again after performing the series of operations. The control unit 6 restarts the ice making operation and counts that one cycle of the series of operations (ice making operation and de-icing operation) has been performed, and stores this in the memory unit 62 as the cumulative number of cycles performed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sterilization control unit 65 may perform correction control to advance the timing of turning off the ultraviolet irradiation device 90 by T hours from the second cycle of the series of operations onward. Such correction control can be performed, for example, by the sterilization control unit 65 storing in the memory unit 62 the time from turning on to turning off the ultraviolet irradiation device 90 (initial irradiation duration) measured by the timing unit 63 in the first cycle of the series of operations, and turning off the ultraviolet irradiation device 90 at a timing T hours earlier than the initial duration from the second cycle of the series of operations onward.

Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, an ice maker 10 includes a tank 13 capable of storing water therein, an ice making unit 11 that freezes water supplied from the tank 13 to produce ice, a pump 15 that supplies water to the ice making unit 11, a sterilizer 90 that sterilizes at least the water, and a control unit 6. The ice making unit 11 includes ice making plates 12 that freeze flowing water to produce ice. The ice maker 10 is configured such that water circulates between the tank 13 and the ice making unit 11 by driving the pump 15, and the sterilizer 90 sterilizes the circulating water. The ice maker 10 is provided with an ice making control unit 64 that controls at least the pump 15 so that the control unit 6 repeats a generation operation in which the pump 15 is driven to circulate water and generate ice on the ice making plate 12, and a de-icing operation in which the generated ice is removed from the ice making plate 12, and a sterilization control unit 65 that turns on the sterilization device 90 during the generation operation until ice adheres to the ice making plate 12, and turns off the sterilization device 90 after ice adheres to the ice making plate 12 during the generation operation and during the de-icing operation.

In this type of ice maker 10, during production operation, water circulates between the tank 13 and the ice making section 11, and by turning on the sterilizer 90 until ice adheres to the ice making plate 12, the water supplied to the tank 13 and circulating can be sufficiently sterilized. In addition, by turning off the sterilizer 90 after ice adheres to the ice making plate 12 during production operation and during de-icing operation, the operation of the sterilizer 90 can be minimized and its lifespan can be improved.

The ice maker 10 also includes a float switch 17 that detects the water level stored inside the tank 13, and the sterilization control unit 65 determines that the ice is about to adhere to the ice-making plate 12 if the water level detected by the float switch 17 during generation operation is higher than the upper reference water level L2, and determines that the ice has already adhered to the ice-making plate 12 if the water level detected by the float switch 17 during generation operation is lower than the upper reference water level L2.

With this type of ice maker 10, it becomes easier to determine whether ice is being produced before or after it has adhered to the ice-making plate 12 during production operation. Even if the time it takes for ice to be produced varies for each cycle of repeated production and de-icing operations or for each operating date and time due to the influence of the outside air temperature, etc., the water supplied to and circulated in the tank 13 can be sterilized according to the circumstances of each cycle, etc.

The sterilization device 90 is an ultraviolet ray irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays, and is provided in a position where it can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the water stored inside the tank 13. With this type of ice maker 10, a relatively large amount of water that is supplied to and circulated in the tank 13 can be sterilized inside the tank 13, which is effective.

In addition, in the above configuration, the sterilization device 90 is provided in a position that abuts the pump 15. With this type of ice maker 10, the heat generated by the pump 15 can be conducted to the sterilization device 90, and condensation can be suppressed in the sterilization device 90.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions of the structure, control, action and effect will be omitted.

The ice making section 211 of the ice maker 210 is provided with a pair of ice making plates 12 that freeze flowing water to make ice, but does not have the cover 37 (see FIG. 2) shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, inside the ice maker 210, the ice making surface 12A of the ice making plates 12 is exposed. Of the pair of ice making plates 12, the one provided on the front side (door 2 side) is referred to as the front ice making plate 12F, and the one provided behind the front ice making plate 12F is referred to as the rear ice making plate 12B.

The ice maker 210 is provided with an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 290 that is embedded in the wall 9F at the front of the piping chamber 9, and a reflecting section 280 that is formed to cover the wall 9F except for the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 290. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 290 is attached in the center of the wall 9F at a position where the ultraviolet ray irradiation surface 290A that emits (irradiates) ultraviolet rays faces the ice-making surface 12A side (front side) of the rear ice-making plate 12B, and can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the ice-making surface 12A of the rear ice-making plate 12B. The reflecting section 280 is provided on the rear side of the ice-making surface 12A of the rear ice-making plate 12B, facing the ice-making surface 12A of the rear ice-making plate 12B. The pair of ice-making plates 12 and the reflecting section 280 are made of a metal such as aluminum, and are made of a material that reflects ultraviolet rays.

In this ice-making machine 210, the ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation device 290 toward the rear ice-making plate 12B and reflected by the rear ice-making plate 12B can be reflected back toward the rear ice-making plate 12B by the reflecting portion 280 provided at a position opposite the rear ice-making plate 12B. This allows the ultraviolet light to be efficiently irradiated over a wide area of the rear ice-making plate 12B, and the water flowing down the rear ice-making plate 12B and the ice produced by the rear ice-making plate 12B can be more effectively sterilized.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. In this embodiment, the same components as those in the above embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions of the structure, control, action and effect will be omitted.

The ice maker 310 includes an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 390 attached to the bottom surface of the tank body 326 in the tank 313. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 390 is disposed below between the lower part of the pump 15 and the float 17A of the float switch 17, and is attached to the tank body 326 so that the ultraviolet ray irradiation surface 390A that emits (irradiates) ultraviolet rays faces the lid 27 side (upper side) of the tank 313. The ultraviolet ray irradiation device 390 is submerged in the water stored in the tank 313, and can irradiate the water with ultraviolet rays from below. The light source of the ultraviolet ray irradiation device 390 is not limited to an LED, and a light source capable of generating ultraviolet rays with a wavelength that is reflected by the water surface, such as an ultraviolet fluorescent lamp, can be used.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, in addition to the embodiments described below, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

(1) In the above embodiment, the sterilization device is an ultraviolet ray irradiation device, but is not limited to this. For example, the sterilization device may be an ozone generator that generates ozone to sterilize.

(2) In the above embodiment, the pump and the sterilizer are provided next to each other, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the sterilizer may be placed below the pump and secured to the tank together with the pump by tightening the sterilizer.

(3) In the above embodiment, the water level stored in the tank is detected by a float switch, but this is not limited to this. For example, such a water level may be detected by measuring the distance to the water surface using a distance sensor provided on the tank lid.

(4) In the above embodiment, the condition for the sterilization control unit to determine that ice has adhered to the ice-making plate is when the water level stored in the tank falls below a predetermined water level, but this is not limited to this. Such conditions may be, for example, when the temperature of the ice-making plate detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor falls below a predetermined temperature (e.g., 1°C), when an image of the ice-making plate is captured by a camera and the image is analyzed by an analysis unit or the like provided in the control unit to confirm that ice has adhered to it, or when an ice adhesion time is set in advance in the memory unit and the timing unit's timing exceeds the ice adhesion time after the start of the generation operation.

(5) In the above embodiment, the reflecting portion is provided on the front wall of the piping chamber, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reflecting portion may be a cover that is bent so that the lower portion is close to the cube guide, or the front wall of the piping chamber itself may be made of a material that reflects ultraviolet rays, such as aluminum.

6...control unit, 10...ice maker, 11...ice making unit, 12...ice making plate, 13...tank, 15...pump, 17...float switch (water level detection unit), 43...expansion valve, 43...expansion valve (capillary tube), 64...ice making control unit, 65...sterilization control unit, 90...ultraviolet ray irradiation device (sterilization device), L2...upper reference water level (predetermined water level), 280...reflection unit

Claims (5)

An ice maker, comprising:
A tank capable of storing water therein;
an ice making unit that freezes water supplied from the tank to produce ice;
A pump for supplying water to the ice making unit;
a sterilization device for sterilizing at least water;
A control unit,
The ice making unit includes an ice making plate that freezes flowing water to produce ice,
The ice making machine is configured such that water circulates between the tank and the ice making unit by driving the pump,
The sterilization device is provided at a position where the circulating water can be sterilized,
The control unit is
an ice making control unit that controls at least the pump so as to repeat a generating operation in which the pump is driven to circulate water and generate ice on the ice making plate, and an ice removing operation in which the generated ice is removed from the ice making plate;
an ice making machine comprising: a sterilization control unit that turns on the sterilization device during the generation operation until ice adheres to the ice making plate, and turns off the sterilization device after ice adheres to the ice making plate during the generation operation and during the deicing operation. The ice maker includes a water level detector that detects the level of water stored in the tank,
The ice making machine of claim 1, characterized in that the sterilization control unit determines that the ice is about to adhere to the ice making plate when the water level detected by the water level detection unit during the generation operation is higher than a predetermined water level, and determines that the ice has already adhered to the ice making plate when the water level detected by the water level detection unit during the generation operation is lower than a predetermined water level. The ice maker according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sterilization device is an ultraviolet ray irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays and is installed in a position where it can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the water stored inside the tank. The sterilization device is an ultraviolet irradiating device that irradiates ultraviolet rays, and is provided at a position where it can irradiate ultraviolet rays toward the ice making plate,
3. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the ice making section is provided at a position facing the ice making plate and includes a reflecting section that reflects ultraviolet light. The ice maker according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sterilizer is provided at a position in contact with the pump.

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