JP7574097B2 - Ice maker - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to ice makers.

For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a flow-down type ice maker that includes an ice making unit that produces ice, a cooling device that cools the ice making unit, a water flow channel that includes an ice making water tank and through which water flows toward the ice making unit, a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the water flow channel, a drainage mechanism that drains water from the water flow channel outside the machine, and a control unit. In this ice maker, control is performed based on the water level in the ice making water tank, so that an ice making operation that produces ice in the ice making unit and an ice removal operation that removes ice that has adhered to the ice making unit are repeated.

JP 2011-21840 A

In conventional ice makers, for example, pressing an ice-making stop button on an operation panel connected to the control unit immediately stops the operation of the ice maker, and the operation of the ice maker may be stopped for a long period of time while water is pooled in the water flow channel. For this reason, depending on the environment in which the ice maker is installed, there is a possibility that bacteria may grow in the water pooled in the water flow channel, resulting in unsanitary conditions.

This disclosure was completed based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide an ice maker that makes it easy to keep the interior of the machine hygienic even when the operation of the ice maker is stopped for an extended period of time.

In order to solve the above problems, the ice making machine of the present disclosure has the following configurations <1> to <5>.
<1> An ice making machine comprising an ice making unit that produces ice by freezing water, a cooling device that cools the ice making unit, a water flow channel through which water used for making ice flows, a water supply mechanism that supplies water to the water flow channel from outside the machine, a drainage mechanism that drains water in the water flow channel to the outside of the machine, and a control unit that executes ice making operation to produce ice in the ice making unit, wherein when the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice making machine, it stops the supply of water to the water flow channel by the water supply mechanism and executes a drainage process to drain the water from the water flow channel by the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice making machine after the drainage process is executed.

According to the configuration of <1>, the water channel is always drained before the ice maker is stopped based on an operation stop command. Therefore, even if the ice maker is stopped for a long period of time, it is easy to keep the interior of the machine, including the water channel, hygienic.

<2> The ice-making machine of <1> above further includes a de-icing mechanism that removes ice adhering to the ice-making unit, and when the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice-making machine, it checks whether de-icing was in progress when the control unit detected the command to stop operation, and if it is not detected that de-icing was in progress, it de-ices the ice-making unit using the de-icing mechanism, and executes the drainage process after de-icing the ice-making unit.

According to the configuration of <2>, the ice-making section is always de-iced before the ice-making machine is stopped based on an operation stop command. This reduces the occurrence of a situation in which ice melts in the ice-making section while the ice-making machine is stopped, causing the melted water to flow down and accumulate in the waterway for a long period of time. As a result, it becomes easier to maintain a hygienic state inside the machine.

<3> The ice-making machine of <1> or <2> above further includes a pump for moving water in the water flow channel, and when the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice-making machine, it executes the drainage process, then supplies water to the water flow channel by the water supply mechanism, moves the water in the water flow channel by the pump to clean the water flow channel, drains the cleaned water in the water flow channel by the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice-making machine after draining the water flow channel.

According to the configuration of <3>, the water channel is always washed with fresh water before the ice maker is stopped based on an operation stop command, making it easier to maintain the interior of the machine in a sanitary condition. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the deposition of scale in the water channel while the ice maker is stopped, and to reduce the occurrence of multiple ice formations induced by the water channel being blocked by scale.

<4> The ice making machine according to <1> to <3> above further includes a timer and a pump for moving water in the flow channel, and the control unit is capable of transitioning to sanitary control when it detects that the operation of the ice making machine has been stopped for a predetermined period of time after draining the flow channel. In the sanitary control, the control unit supplies water to the flow channel by the water supply mechanism, causes the pump to move the water in the flow channel that has been supplied to the flow channel to clean the flow channel, and drains the water in the flow channel after cleaning by the drainage mechanism.

According to the configuration of <4>, when the ice maker is stopped for an extended period of time, it switches to sanitary control, which periodically cleans the water channel and keeps the interior of the machine sanitary.

<5> The ice maker of <4> above further includes a mode changeover switch, which allows the control unit to switch whether or not to transition to the sanitary control when it detects that the operation of the ice maker has been stopped for a predetermined period of time after the drainage mechanism has drained the water channel.

According to the configuration of <5>, hygiene control can be set to be performed only when control to suppress the proliferation of bacteria is necessary, taking into consideration the installation environment of the ice maker, etc. This allows hygiene control to be performed only when necessary, and turned off when not necessary, thereby saving energy and water.

This disclosure provides an ice maker that makes it easy to keep the interior of the machine hygienic.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a flow-down type ice making machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration related to control for stopping the operation of the ice maker. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing an example of a flow related to the operation stop control of the control example 1. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of a flow related to the operation stop control of the control example 2. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of a flow related to operation shutdown control including sanitary control of Control Example 3. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of a flow related to operation shutdown control including sanitary control in Control Example 4.

Specific examples of the storage container of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. Note that, for multiple identical components, a reference number may be assigned to one component and the reference numbers of the other components may be omitted.

<Embodiment>
An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In this embodiment, a flow-down type ice-making machine 100 will be illustrated as an ice-making machine.

The outline of the structure of an ice making machine 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ice making machine 100 of this embodiment includes an ice making unit 10 that produces ice by freezing water, a cooling device 40 that cools the ice making unit 10 (more specifically, the ice making plate 11 provided in the ice making unit 10), a water flow channel 60 through which water used for making ice flows, a water supply mechanism 20 that supplies water to the water flow channel 60 from outside the machine, and a drainage mechanism 30 that discharges the water in the water flow channel 60 outside the machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ice making unit 10 includes a plurality of ice making plates 11. The plurality of ice making plates 11 are arranged in a vertical position with the normal line of the plate surface being approximately horizontal, and a water sprinkler pipe 65 is arranged at the upper end of each ice making plate 11. The number of ice making plates 11 provided in the ice making unit 10 is arbitrary, and may be one or more according to the ice making capacity of the ice making machine 100 (three plates are shown in FIG. 1). The ice making plate 11 is configured such that a meandering evaporator tube 44 (part of the cooling device 40) is sandwiched between a pair of thin plates 11A arranged opposite each other, and the surface of the pair of thin plates 11A opposite the evaporator tube 44, i.e., the outer surface of the ice making plate 11, becomes the ice making surface. The thin plate 11A is deformed along the outer diameter of the evaporator tubes 44, which are arranged in a horizontal direction. As a result, a plurality of convex portions extending horizontally are formed on the ice making surface of the ice making plate 11. Additionally, thin plate 11A is folded vertically at regular intervals in the horizontal direction to form pleats. This creates multiple vertically extending ridges on the ice-making surface of ice-making plate 11. A water sprinkler guide 11B is provided at the upper end of the outer surface of ice-making plate 11. Water sprinkled from sprinkler pipe 65 onto the ice-making surface of ice-making plate 11 is guided by water sprinkler guide 11B so that it flows down evenly between the ridges.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling device 40 includes a compressor 41, a condenser 42, an expansion valve 43, an evaporation pipe 44, and a fan 46. The compressor 41, the condenser 42, the expansion valve 43, and the evaporation pipe 44 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 45 in which a refrigerant is sealed. The compressor 41 compresses the refrigerant gas. The condenser 42 cools and liquefies the compressed refrigerant gas by blowing air from the fan 46. The expansion valve 43 expands the liquefied refrigerant. The evaporation pipe 44 (evaporator) cools the ice-making plate 11 by vaporizing the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 43. In this way, the compressor 41, the condenser 42, the expansion valve 43, the evaporation pipe 44, and the refrigerant pipe 45 constitute a refrigerant circulation cycle (refrigeration circuit) for cooling the ice-making plate 11. The cooling device 40 also includes a dryer 47 for removing moisture mixed into the refrigeration circuit.

The compressor 41 is connected to a bypass pipe 53 for supplying the refrigerant gas (hot gas) compressed by the compressor 41 to the evaporation pipe 44, and a hot gas valve 55, which is an electromagnetic valve provided on the bypass pipe 53. When the hot gas valve 55 is opened, the refrigerant gas (hot gas) is supplied from the compressor 41 to the evaporation pipe 44, and the evaporation pipe 44 is heated, thereby warming the ice-making plate 11. In this way, the compressor 41 and the evaporation pipe 44 that constitute the cooling device 40, together with the bypass pipe 53 and the hot gas valve 55, also function as a de-icing mechanism 50 that removes ice IC attached to the ice-making surface of the ice-making plate 11.

Next, we will explain the related configuration while following the flow of water used in making ice. The ice maker 100 has a water flow channel 60 through which the water used in making ice flows, a water supply mechanism 20 that supplies water to the water flow channel 60 from outside the machine, and a drainage mechanism 30 that discharges the water in the water flow channel 60 outside the machine.

As shown in the upper left part of FIG. 1, the water supply pipe 21 of the ice maker 100 is connected to a water conduit WP leading from a water supply facility or the like via a water supply valve 23, and tap water is supplied to the water flow path 60 when the water supply valve 23 is opened. In this manner, the water supply mechanism 20 according to this embodiment is configured to include the water supply pipe 21 and the water supply valve 23. The water supply pipe 21 is connected to a connecting pipe 27 connected to a pipe 63 described later via a cleaning valve 29, and when the water supply valve 23 and the cleaning valve 29 are opened, water is supplied to the tank 61 described later.

The water supply pipe 21 is connected to a water supply pipe 67 disposed between a pair of thin plates 11A at the top of the ice-making plate 11 of the ice-making unit 10. When the water supply valve 23 is opened, tap water is supplied from the water supply pipe 67 to the ice-making unit 10 and flows down the inner surface of the thin plate 11A (the surface opposite to the outer surface that becomes the ice-making surface). As a result, the water supply pipe 67 functions as part of the de-icing mechanism 50 that heats the entire ice-making plate 11 from the inside together with the evaporator tube 44 during the de-icing operation described below, and peels off the ice IC that has adhered to the ice-making surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, a tank 61 is disposed below the ice-making unit 10. The tank 61 comprises a tank body 61A that is box-shaped and opens upward, and a lid 61B that covers the opening of the tank body 61A. The lid 61B is not provided at the opening of the tank body 61A that is located directly below the ice-making unit 10, and a water-permeable grate 13 is interposed between the ice-making unit 10 and the tank body 61A. Therefore, water that flows downward from the ice-making unit 10 passes through the grate 13 and is received by the tank 61.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tank 61 is equipped with a pump 35. The water in the tank 61 is sent by the pump 35 through piping 63 to a water sprinkler pipe 65 disposed at the upper end of the ice-making plate 11. The ice-making unit 10 is disposed at a higher position than the pump 35, and the piping 63 extends upward from the pump 35. As described above, the water supplied to the ice-making unit 10 and sprinkled from the water sprinkler pipe 65 to the ice-making plate 11 is guided by the water sprinkler guide 11B so that it flows down evenly between the ridges on the ice-making surface.

When the ice-making plate 11 is cooled during the ice-making operation described below, the water flowing down the ice-making surface of the ice-making plate 11 freezes around the area where the evaporator tube 44 and the thin plate 11A are in contact, and crescent-shaped ice IC is made. The water that flows down the ice-making surface of the ice-making plate 11 that does not freeze passes through the grates 13 and is received in the tank 61. The ice storage tank 15 is located below the bottom end of the grates 13. The ice IC that is detached from the ice-making plate 11 during the de-icing operation described below is released downward from the ice-making section 10, slides over the grates 13, falls into the ice storage tank 15, and is stored in the ice storage tank 15.

Water that is supplied from the water sprinkler pipe 65 to the ice-making unit 10 and does not freeze is stored in the tank 61. By operating the pump 35 provided in the tank 61, water can be circulated between the tank 61 and the ice-making unit 10. That is, the water flow channel 60 according to this embodiment is composed of the tank 61, the piping 63, and the water sprinkler pipe 65. The water in the water flow channel 60 flows when the pump 35 is driven.

As shown in FIG. 1, a branch pipe 31 is drawn from the middle of the piping 63 that extends upward from the pump 35 toward the ice making unit 10. The branch pipe 31 is connected to a first drain pipe 37, which is connected to a drain pipe DR that discharges water outside the machine, via a drain valve 33. When the pump 35 is operated with the drain valve 33 open, the water in the tank 61 is drained from the drain pipe DR through the first drain pipe 37 to the outside of the machine. In this way, the drain mechanism 30 according to this embodiment is configured to include the pump 35, the branch pipe 31, the drain valve 33, and the first drain pipe 37. The branch pipe 31 is connected to the water supply pipe 21 by the connecting pipe 27 via the cleaning valve 29.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tank body 61A of the tank 61 according to this embodiment is provided with a downward protrusion 61AP that protrudes part of the bottom surface downward at the position where the pump 35 is disposed, so that the lower end 35A of the suction port of the pump 35 can be positioned at approximately the same height as the bottom surface of the other parts of the tank body 61A. This reduces the amount of water that cannot be sucked out even when the pump 35 is driven and remains in the tank 61, compared to a configuration that does not have the downward protrusion 61AP.

In addition, the tank 61 according to this embodiment is configured so that water exceeding a predetermined overflow water level LOV (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) is drained outside the machine. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the tank body 61A is partitioned into a water storage space A1 in which water is stored and an overflow space A2 by having a vertical wall portion 61AW standing upright from the bottom surface of the tank body 61A. The upper end of the vertical wall portion 61AW is formed to be lower than the upper end of the side wall portion of the tank body 61A. In addition, a drain outlet is provided on the bottom surface of the overflow space A2, and a first drain pipe 37 connected to the drain pipe DR is connected thereto. As a result, when the water level of the water storage space A1 exceeds the height of the upper end of the vertical wall portion 61AW, the water flows over the upper end of the vertical wall portion 61AW into the overflow space A2 and is drained. In other words, the height of the upper end of the vertical wall portion 61AW is the overflow water level LOV. An overflow pipe may be provided at a specified height in the tank 61 and connected to a drain pipe DR to allow water that exceeds a specified water level to be discharged outside the machine.

The ice storage tank 15 according to this embodiment is configured so that water generated when the ice IC melts during storage is discharged outside the machine. Specifically, a drain outlet is provided on the bottom surface of the ice storage tank 15, and a second drain pipe 39 is connected to the drain pipe DR. To prevent the outflow of the solid ice IC, a water-permeable cap made of a grate or mesh may be attached to the drain outlet.

Next, other configurations related to control of the operation of ice making machine 100 will be described.
1, in cooling device 40, ice-making section temperature sensor 71 is provided near the outlet of evaporator tube 44 of refrigerant tube 45. Ice-making section temperature sensor 71 detects the temperature of ice-making plate 11. Note that ice-making section temperature sensor 71 may be, for example, a thermistor, but is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tank 61 is provided with a water level sensor 72. This water level sensor 72 detects the water level of the water stored in the tank 61. For example, a float switch as shown in FIG. 1 can be used as the water level sensor 72. This float switch has a float that is displaced by buoyancy according to the water level in the tank 61, and is capable of detecting whether the water level in the tank 61 is equal to or higher than a predetermined upper water level L1 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, and whether or not the water level is equal to or higher than a predetermined lower water level L2. Note that the water level sensor 72 is not limited to a float switch. For example, an ultrasonic sensor that measures the distance from the water surface by ultrasonic waves may be attached to the lid 61B to detect the water level in the tank 61.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ice storage tank 15 is provided with an ice storage amount sensor 73. This ice storage amount sensor 73 detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage tank 15 (storage amount). For example, an ice storage switch as shown in FIG. 1 can be used as the ice storage amount sensor 73. This ice storage switch has, for example, a reed switch, and when ice accumulates in the ice storage tank 15 at a level equal to or greater than a predetermined reference ice storage amount L3 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1), the lower end portion is pushed upward by the ice IC, causing the reed switch to react, thereby making it possible to detect whether the ice storage amount has reached the reference ice storage amount L3. Note that the ice storage amount sensor 73 is not limited to an ice storage switch. For example, an ultrasonic sensor that uses ultrasonic waves to measure the distance from the ice storage surface may be attached to the top of the ice storage tank 15 to detect the amount of ice stored in the ice storage tank 15.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ice maker 100 includes an electrical box 91. The electrical box 91 houses a computer having a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. that constitutes the control unit 90 (see FIG. 2). The control unit 90 includes a timer 93 (see FIG. 2) for measuring time.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ice maker 100 also includes an operation panel 80 that can be operated by the user as needed. The operation panel 80 includes an ice maker operation switch 81 for starting/stopping the operation of the ice maker 100, a mode change switch 83 for selecting whether or not to execute the sanitation control described below, and the like.

2 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration related to the operation stop control of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the input side of the control unit 90 according to this embodiment is connected to the operation panel 80 including the ice maker operation switch 81 and the mode change switch 83, the ice making unit temperature sensor 71, the water level sensor 72, the ice storage amount sensor 73, etc. The output side of the control unit 90 is connected to the compressor 41 and the fan 46, the hot gas valve 55, the pump 35, the water supply valve 23, the cleaning valve 29, the drain valve 33, etc. Note that the pump 35, the fan 46, etc. are driven by driving the motors equipped therein. Other configurations may be connected to the control unit 90. For example, when a display unit showing the operating state is attached to the ice maker 100, the display unit is connected to the output side of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 can be configured to include a timer 93, a memory unit, a calculation unit, etc.

When the ice maker 100 starts operating, the control unit 90 alternates between an ice-making operation to produce ice IC in the ice-making unit 10 and a de-icing operation to remove ice that has adhered to the ice-making unit 10 (normal operation). An example of control during ice-making and de-icing operations is described below. The control related to ice-making and de-icing outlined below is merely an example, and the control unit 90 may be configured to perform ice-making and de-icing operations using control different from that described below.

Ice-making operation is started, for example, when it is detected that the ice-maker operation switch 81 on the operation panel 80 is ON and the ice storage amount sensor 73 detects that the amount of ice stored in the ice storage tank 15 is less than the reference ice storage amount L3.
When ice making operation is started, the control unit 90 opens the water supply valve 23 and the cleaning valve 29, and supplies water to the water flow passage 60 including the tank 61 with the drain valve 33 closed. At the same time as supplying water to the tank 61, the control unit 90 drives the pump 35 to send water in the tank 61 to the water sprinkler pipe 65, and causes the water to flow down onto the ice making surface of the ice making plate 11. When the water level sensor 72 detects that the water level of the tank 61, to which water supply has been continued, has reached the upper water level L1, the control unit 90 closes the water supply valve 23 to stop the water supply. On the other hand, the control unit 90 drives the compressor 41 and the fan 46 of the cooling device 40 with the hot gas valve 55 closed, and cools the ice making plate 11 by vaporizing the liquefied refrigerant in the evaporation tube 44. As a result, the water flowing on the ice making surface on the outside of the ice making plate 11 freezes, and ice IC is produced.

When the water level sensor 72 detects that the water level in the tank 61 has dropped below the lower limit water level L2 after the pump 35 has started to operate, the control unit 90 again opens the water supply valve 23 to supply additional water. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the water level in the tank 61 has reached the upper limit water level L1, the control unit 90 closes the water supply valve 23 to stop the water supply. When the water level sensor 72 detects that the water level in the tank 61 has dropped to the lower limit water level L2 as a result of the water in the tank 61 being supplied to the ice making unit 10 and ice IC being made, the control unit 90 ends the ice making operation and starts the deicing operation.
In the ice-making operation described above, the amount of water used for making ice is sufficient to cause the water level in the tank 61 to drop from the overflow water level LOV to the lower limit water level L2. On the other hand, the water stored in the tank 61 below the lower limit water level L2 and the water circulated by the pump 35 through the pipes 63, etc. are water not used for making ice.

When the deicing operation is started, the control unit 90 opens the drain valve 33 and drives the pump 35 to drain the water not used for ice making in the above ice making operation outside the machine. When the drainage is completed, the control unit 90 operates the deicing mechanism 50 to deicing the ice making unit 10. That is, the fan 46 of the cooling device 40 is stopped (the compressor 41 continues to be driven) and the hot gas valve 55 is opened to supply hot gas into the evaporator tube 44, and at the same time, the water supply valve 23 is opened to supply tap water to the water supply pipe 67 and to flow water on the inner surface of the thin plate 11A (the surface opposite to the outer surface that becomes the ice making surface). As a result, the entire ice making plate 11 is heated from the inside, and the ice IC attached to the ice making surface is peeled off. The peeled off ice IC slides on the grate 13 and falls into the ice storage tank 15 and is stored there. In addition, the water generated by the melting of part of the ice IC passes through the grate 13 and flows down into the tank 61 and is collected. When the ice making section temperature sensor 71 detects that the temperature of the ice making plate 11 has risen to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 9°C), the control unit 90 ends the deicing operation and restarts the ice making operation.

By repeating the ice-making and deicing operations, ice IC is stored in ice storage tank 15. When ice storage amount sensor 73 detects that the amount of ice IC in ice storage tank 15 has reached reference ice storage amount L3, control unit 90 determines that the tank is full of ice and pauses ice-making and deicing operations. Then, when ice storage amount sensor 73 detects that the amount of ice IC has fallen below reference ice storage amount L3, control unit 90 resumes ice-making and deicing operations.
As described above, the ice-making operation and the deicing operation are alternately repeated to perform normal operation of the ice-making machine 100.

Now, when the user turns off the ice maker operation switch 81 on the operation panel 80 during normal operation of the ice maker 100, a command to stop operation of the ice maker 100 is input to the control unit 90. Conventional ice makers are configured to immediately stop operation of the ice maker, including the drainage mechanism 30, when the control unit detects a command to stop operation. As a result, the ice maker is stopped with a large amount of water remaining in the water flow channel 60, and if this condition is maintained for a long period of time, it can become unsanitary, such as by the proliferation of bacteria inside the machine.

In the ice-making machine 100 according to this embodiment, when a command to stop operation is detected, the control unit 90 is configured to execute a predetermined operation stop control and then stop the operation of the ice-making machine 100. Below, several examples of the flow of control related to the operation stop are given and explained in accordance with the flow charts in Figures 3 to 6.

[Control Example 1]
An example of the flow of the operation stop control will be described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG.
3, during normal operation of ice maker 100 (step S11) which alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations, when it is detected that ice-maker operation switch 81 has been turned OFF (step S12 is "YES"), control unit 90 checks whether ice-making unit 10 is in the process of de-icing (step S21). If it is not detected that de-icing was in progress when the operation stop command was detected (step S21 is "NO"), that is, if ice-making or drainage was in progress when the operation stop command was detected, ice-making and drainage are stopped, and de-icing mechanism 50 is operated to perform de-icing to peel off ice IC adhering to ice-making unit 10 (step S22). Specifically, as described above for the deicing operation, for example, the control unit 90 stops the fan 46 of the cooling device 40 (while continuing to drive the compressor 41) and opens the hot gas valve 55 to supply hot gas into the evaporation tube 44, and at the same time opens the water supply valve 23 to supply tap water to the water supply pipe 67 and cause the water to flow on the inner surface of the thin plate 11A (the surface opposite to the outer surface that becomes the ice-making surface). The control unit 90 ends the deicing based on, for example, the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor 71 or the time that the deicing mechanism 50 has been functioning.

When de-icing is completed, the control unit 90 performs drainage processing of the water flow channel 60 (step S23). Alternatively, if it is detected that de-icing was in progress when the ice maker operation switch 81 was turned OFF (step S21 is "YES"), the control unit 90 performs drainage processing of the water flow channel 60 without de-icing the ice making unit 10 (step S23). Specifically, for example, with the water supply valve 23 closed, the control unit 90 opens the drain valve 33 and drives the pump 35 to drain the water in the water flow channel 60 including the tank 61 to the outside of the machine. The control unit 90 ends the drainage processing based on, for example, the water level in the tank 61 detected by the water level sensor 72 or the time the drain mechanism 30 has been functioning.

When the drainage process is completed, the control unit 90 stops the operation of the ice-making machine 100. Thus, in this embodiment, after the control unit 90 detects an operation stop command (step S12 is "YES"), if it does not detect that de-icing was in progress when the operation stop command was detected (step S21 is "NO"), the control unit 90 executes operation stop control including de-icing (step S22) and drainage process performed after de-icing (step S23), and then stops the operation of the ice-making machine 100. Also, if the control unit 90 detects that de-icing was in progress when the operation stop command was detected (step S21 is "YES"), the control unit 90 executes operation stop control including drainage process (step S23), and then stops the operation of the ice-making machine 100.

[Summary and Effects of the Configuration]
As described above, the ice making machine 100 of this embodiment is an ice making machine comprising an ice making unit 10 that produces ice IC by freezing water, a cooling device 40 that cools the ice making unit 10, a water flow channel 60 through which water used for making ice flows, a water supply mechanism 20 that supplies water to the water flow channel 60 from outside the machine, a drainage mechanism 30 that drains the water in the water flow channel 60 to the outside of the machine, and a control unit 90 that executes ice making operation to produce ice IC in the ice making unit 10, and when the control unit 90 detects a command to stop operation of the ice making machine 100, it stops the supply of water to the water flow channel 60 by the water supply mechanism 20 and executes a drainage process to drain the water flow channel 60 by the drainage mechanism 30, and stops the operation of the ice making machine 100 after the drainage process is executed.

According to this control example, the water flow channel 60 is always drained before the operation of the ice-making machine 100 is stopped based on an operation stop command, so it is easier to keep the interior of the machine, including the water flow channel 60, hygienic even if the ice-making machine 100 is stopped for a long period of time.

The ice-making machine 100 according to this embodiment further includes a de-icing mechanism 50 that removes ice IC that has adhered to the ice-making unit 10, and when the control unit 90 detects a command to stop the operation of the ice-making machine 100, it checks whether de-icing was in progress at the time the command to stop the operation was detected, and if it is not detected that de-icing was in progress, it performs de-icing using the de-icing mechanism 50 and then executes the drainage process.

According to this control example, de-icing of ice-making unit 10 is always performed before ice-making machine 100 is stopped based on an operation stop command. This reduces the occurrence of a situation in which ice on ice-making unit 10 melts while ice-making machine 100 is stopped, and the melted water that flows down is retained in water channel 60 for a long period of time. As a result, it becomes easier to maintain the interior of the machine in a hygienic state.

[Control Example 2]
Another example of the flow of the operation stop control will be described with reference to the flow diagram of Fig. 4. In this control example, the control unit 90 is configured to clean the water flow channel 60 after the drainage treatment and then stop the operation of the ice maker 100. In the following description, the same steps as those in control example 1 are given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the control unit 90 detects that the ice-making machine operation switch 81 is turned OFF (step S12 is "YES") during normal operation of the ice-making machine 100 (step S11), in this control example, as in control example 1, it checks whether de-icing was in progress when the operation stop command was detected. If it is not detected that de-icing was in progress (step S21 is "NO"), it operates the de-icing mechanism 50 to perform de-icing to remove ice IC attached to the ice-making unit 10 (step S22), and after de-icing is completed, it operates the drainage mechanism 30 to perform drainage processing of the flow channel 60 (step S23). Also, if it is detected that de-icing was in progress when the operation stop command was detected (step S21 is "YES"), de-icing is not performed, and the drainage mechanism 30 operates to perform drainage processing of the flow channel 60 (step S23).

In this control example, unlike control example 1, when the drainage process is completed, the control unit 90 activates the water supply mechanism 20 to supply water to the water flow channel 60 including the tank 61 (step S24). Specifically, the control unit 90, for example, opens the water supply valve 23 and closes the drainage valve 33 to supply water to the water flow channel 60. This allows fresh water to be supplied from outside the machine to the water flow channel 60 including the tank 61. If water is supplied with the cleaning valve 29 closed, water can be sprayed from the water supply pipe 67 between the opposing surfaces of the pair of thin plates 11A to wash the inside of the ice making plate 11 with fresh water. The control unit 90 closes the water supply valve 23 to end the water supply based on, for example, the water level in the tank 61 detected by the water level sensor 72 and the time the water supply mechanism 20 has been activated.

When the water supply is completed, the control unit 90 performs cleaning by circulating the fresh water supplied into the water flow channel 60 (step S25). Specifically, the control unit 90 drives the pump 35, for example, with the water supply valve 23 and the drain valve 33 closed. This causes fresh water to flow and clean the tank 61, piping 63, and sprinkler pipe 65 that make up the water flow channel 60, and the outer surface of the ice-making plate 11, which is the ice-making surface. For example, when the control unit 90 detects that the drive of the pump 35 has continued for a predetermined time, it stops the pump 35 and ends the cleaning.

When the cleaning is completed, the control unit 90 operates the drainage mechanism 30 to drain the water flow channel 60 (step S26). Specifically, for example, with the water supply valve 23 closed, the control unit 90 opens the drainage valve 33 and drives the pump 35 to discharge the water in the water flow channel 60 including the tank 61 outside the machine. The control unit 90 ends the drainage based on, for example, the water level in the tank 61 detected by the water level sensor 72 and the time the drainage mechanism 30 has been operated.

When drainage after cleaning is complete, the control unit 90 stops the operation of the ice maker 100. Thus, in this control example, after detecting an operation stop command (step S12 is "YES"), the control unit 90 executes operation stop control that includes deicing (step S22) and drainage processing (step S23), as well as water supply (step S24), cleaning (step S25), and drainage (step S26) that are performed after drainage processing, and then stops the operation of the ice maker 100.

[Summary and Effects of the Configuration]
As described above, the ice making machine 100 of this embodiment further includes a pump 35 that moves the water in the water flow channel 60, and when the control unit 90 detects a command to stop operation of the ice making machine 100, it executes the drainage process, then supplies water to the water flow channel 60 using the water supply mechanism 20, moves the water in the water flow channel 60 with the pump 35 to clean the water flow channel 60, drains the water in the water flow channel 60 after cleaning using the drainage mechanism 30, and stops operation of the ice making machine 100 after draining the water flow channel 60.

If the operation of the ice-making machine 100 is stopped for a long period of time while water containing many impurities is circulating inside the machine and adhering to the water channel 60, scale will precipitate in the water channel 60, and in some cases the water channel 60 may become blocked by the scale, which may induce so-called multiple ice making. According to this control example, the water channel 60 is always washed with fresh water before the operation of the ice-making machine 100 is stopped based on an operation stop command. This not only makes it easier to maintain the interior of the machine more hygienic, but also reduces the precipitation of scale in the water channel 60 while the ice-making machine is stopped, thereby reducing the occurrence of multiple ice making.

[Control Example 3]
Another example of the flow related to the operation stop control will be described with reference to the flow diagram of Fig. 5. In this control example, when a command to stop operation is detected and a predetermined operation stop control is executed to stop the operation of ice-making machine 100, and then when it is detected that the operation of ice-making machine 100 has been stopped for a predetermined period of time, control unit 90 is configured to transition to sanitary control. In the following description, steps similar to those in control example 1 or control example 2 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, when ice maker operation switch 81 is turned ON (step S10 is "YES") and ice maker 100 is operating normally (step S11), if it is detected that ice maker operation switch 81 has been turned OFF (step S12 is "YES"), control unit 90 executes operation stop control as described in control example 1 and control example 2 (step S30), and then stops operation of ice maker 100 (step S31).

In this control example, when the timer 93 detects that the operation stop state of the ice maker 100 has continued for a predetermined time after the operation is stopped (step S32 is "YES"), the control unit 90 executes sanitation control. The control unit 90 first operates the water supply mechanism 20 to supply water to the water flow path 60 including the tank 61 (step S41). Specifically, the control unit 90 opens the water supply valve 23 and closes the drain valve 33 to supply water to the water flow path 60, for example, in the same way as when water is supplied during operation stop control. This allows fresh water to be supplied from outside the machine to the water flow path 60 including the tank 61. The control unit 90 closes the water supply valve 23 to end the water supply, for example, based on the water level in the tank 61 detected by the water level sensor 72 and the time the water supply mechanism 20 has been operated.

When the water supply is completed, the control unit 90 performs cleaning by circulating the fresh water supplied into the water flow channel 60 (step S42). Specifically, the control unit 90 drives the pump 35 with the water supply valve 23 and the drain valve 33 closed, for example, as when cleaning is performed under operation stop control. This causes the tank 61, piping 63, sprinkler pipe 65, and even the ice making surface that constitute the water flow channel 60 to be cleaned with fresh water. For example, when the control unit 90 detects that the drive of the pump 35 has continued for a predetermined time, it stops the pump 35 and ends the cleaning.

When the cleaning is completed, the control unit 90 operates the drainage mechanism 30 to drain the water from the water flow channel 60 (step S43). Specifically, the control unit 90 closes the water supply valve 23, opens the drainage valve 33, and drives the pump 35 to discharge the water from the water flow channel 60, including the tank 61, outside the machine, in the same way as when drainage is performed by operation stop control. The control unit 90 ends the drainage based on, for example, the water level in the tank 61 detected by the water level sensor 72 and the time the drainage mechanism 30 has been operating.

When drainage is complete, control unit 90 again starts measuring the operation stop time of ice maker 100 using timer 93. Control unit 90 executes sanitation control including water supply (step S41), cleaning (step S42), and drainage (step S43) each time it detects that the operation stop time of ice maker 100 has continued for a predetermined time until ice maker operation switch 81 is turned ON (step S10 is "YES") and normal operation of ice maker 100 is resumed (step S11) or the power switch of ice maker 100 is turned OFF (step S51 is "YES").

[Summary and Effects of the Configuration]
As described above, the ice making machine 100 of this embodiment further includes a timer 93 and a pump 35 that moves the water in the flow channel 60, and the control unit 90 is capable of transitioning to sanitary control when it detects that the operation of the ice making machine 100 has been stopped for a predetermined continuous period of time after draining the flow channel 60. In the sanitary control, the control unit 90 supplies water to the flow channel 60 by the water supply mechanism 20, causes the supplied water in the flow channel 60 to move by the pump 35 to clean the flow channel 60, and drains the water in the flow channel 60 after cleaning by the drainage mechanism 30.

According to control example 1 and control example 2, the ice-making machine 100 is stopped after the operation stop control is executed and the drainage process is performed. Therefore, when the operation of the ice-making machine 100 is stopped, most of the water in the flow channel 60 is discharged outside the machine. As described above, the ice-making machine 100 according to this embodiment is configured to provide the downward protrusion 61AP on the tank body 61A so that the amount of water that cannot be sucked out even when the pump 35 is driven and remains in the tank 61 can be relatively reduced. However, even if the downward protrusion 61AP is provided, the water that has accumulated below the lower end 35A of the pump 35 (water below the residual water level LRE shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) is difficult to suck out by the pump 35 and remains. If the operation of the ice-making machine 100 is stopped for a long period of time, depending on the installation environment of the ice-making machine 100 (installation temperature, etc.), even if it is a small amount, bacteria may grow in the remaining water, which may cause unsanitary conditions.

According to this control example, when the operation of the ice maker 100 is stopped for an extended period of time, the control switches to sanitation control, which periodically cleans the water flow channel 60 and keeps the interior of the machine hygienic.

[Control Example 4]
Another example of the flow related to the operation stop control will be described with reference to the flow diagram of Fig. 6. In this control example, when it is detected that the operation of ice maker 100 has been stopped continuously for a predetermined time, it is possible to select whether or not to execute the sanitation control described in control example 3 by using mode selector switch 83. In the following description, steps similar to those in any of control examples 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The flow of this control example shown in FIG. 6 differs from the flow of control example 3 shown in FIG. 5 in that when it is detected that the ice maker 100 has been stopped for a predetermined period of time (step S32 is "YES"), the control unit 90 checks (step S33) whether the hygiene control mode is ON (whether the hygiene control mode has been selected by the mode selector switch 83).

6, in this control example, when it is detected that the hygiene control mode is ON (step S33 is "YES"), the control unit 90 executes hygiene control including water supply (step S41), cleaning (step S42), and drainage (step S43). Then, the timer 93 starts measuring the operation stop time of the ice maker 100 again, and the control unit 90 repeats the control of steps S32 to S51 while checking whether the hygiene control mode is selected in step S33 until the ice maker operation switch 81 is turned ON (step S10 is "YES") and normal operation of the ice maker 100 is resumed (step S11) or the power switch of the ice maker 100 is turned OFF (step S51 is "YES"). On the other hand, if it is not detected that the hygiene control mode is ON (step S33 is "NO"), the control unit 90 does not execute hygiene control, and stops the operation of the ice maker 100 until the ice maker operation switch 81 is turned ON (step S10 is "YES") and normal operation of the ice maker 100 is resumed (step S11) or the power switch of the ice maker 100 is turned OFF (step S51 is "YES").

[Summary and Effects of the Configuration]
As described above, the ice maker 100 of this embodiment further includes a mode change switch, which enables the control unit to switch whether or not to transition to the sanitary control when it detects that the operation of the ice maker has been stopped for a predetermined continuous period of time after the drainage mechanism has drained the water channel.

For example, in control example 3, when ice-making machine 100 detects that operation of ice-making machine 100 has been stopped continuously for a predetermined time, it switches to hygiene control and periodically cleans inside water flow channel 60. However, depending on the installation environment of ice-making machine 100, it may be difficult for germs to grow, and the inside of the machine may be kept hygienic without executing hygiene control. From the viewpoint of saving water and energy, it is not desirable to execute hygiene control unnecessarily even in such a case.

According to this control example, hygiene control can be set to be performed only when control to suppress the proliferation of bacteria is necessary, taking into consideration the installation environment of the ice maker 100, etc. This allows hygiene control to be performed only when necessary, and turned off when not necessary, thereby saving energy and water.

<Other embodiments>
The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

(1) In the above control example 1, deicing and drainage processing are performed as operation stop control, but the system may be configured to perform only drainage processing.

(2) In the above embodiment, a flow-down type ice-making machine is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present technology can be applied to ice-making machines of a type that has a flow channel that supplies water to the ice-making section, such as an auger type, cell type, drum type, or water storage type. The present technology can also be applied to ice-making machines that do not circulate water within the ice-making machine, but is particularly useful in ice-making machines that circulate water within the ice-making machine, such as flow-down and cell type ice-making machines.

10...Ice making section, 11...Ice making plate, 11A...Thin plate, 11B...Water spray guide, 13...Slats, 15...Ice storage tank, 20...Water supply mechanism, 21...Water supply pipe, 23...Water supply valve, 27...Connecting pipe, 29...Cleaning valve, 30...Drainage mechanism, 31...Branch pipe, 33...Drainage valve, 35...Pump, 35A...Lower end, 37...First drainage pipe, 39...Second drainage pipe, 40...Cooling device, 41...Compressor, 42...Condenser, 43...Expansion valve, 44...Evaporation pipe, 45...Refrigerant pipe, 46...Fan, 47...Dryer, 50...De-icing mechanism, 53...Bypass pipe, 55...Hot gas valve, 60...Flow channel, 61...Ta tank, 61A...tank body, 61AP...downward protrusion, 61AW...vertical wall, 61B...lid, 63...piping, 65...spray pipe, 67...water supply pipe, 71...ice maker temperature sensor, 72...water level sensor, 73...ice storage amount sensor, 80...operation panel, 81...ice maker operation switch, 83...mode change switch, 90...controller, 91...electrical box, 93...timer, 100...ice maker, A1...water storage space, A2...overflow space, IC...ice, DR...drain pipe, WP...water conduit, L1...upper water level, L2...lower water level, LOV...overflow water level, LRE...residual water level, L3...reference ice storage amount

Claims (3)

an ice making unit that produces ice by freezing water;
A cooling device that cools the ice making unit;
A flow channel through which water used for making ice flows;
A water supply mechanism for supplying water to the water passage from outside the machine;
A drainage mechanism for discharging water from the water flow channel to the outside of the machine;
A control unit that executes an ice making operation to make ice in the ice making unit,
When the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice maker, the control unit stops the water supply to the water flow channel by the water supply mechanism and executes a drainage process to drain the water flow channel by the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice maker after the drainage process is executed .
Further, a de-icing mechanism is provided for removing ice adhering to the ice making unit,
When the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice making machine, it checks whether de-icing was in progress at the time the operation stop command was detected, and if it is not detected that de-icing was in progress, it de-ices the ice making unit using the de-icing mechanism, and performs the drainage process after de-icing the ice making unit. an ice making unit that produces ice by freezing water;
A cooling device that cools the ice making unit;
A flow channel through which water used for making ice flows;
A water supply mechanism for supplying water to the water passage from outside the machine;
A drainage mechanism for discharging water from the water flow channel to the outside of the machine;
A control unit that executes an ice making operation to make ice in the ice making unit,
When the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice maker, the control unit stops the water supply to the water flow channel by the water supply mechanism and executes a drainage process to drain the water flow channel by the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice maker after the drainage process is executed .
Further comprising a pump for moving water through the flow channel;
When the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice making machine, it executes the drainage process, then supplies water to the flow channel using the water supply mechanism, circulates the water in the flow channel using the pump to clean the flow channel, drains the water in the flow channel after cleaning using the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice making machine after draining the flow channel. an ice making unit that produces ice by freezing water;
A cooling device that cools the ice making unit;
A flow channel through which water used for making ice flows;
A water supply mechanism for supplying water to the water passage from outside the machine;
A drainage mechanism for discharging water from the water flow channel to the outside of the machine;
A control unit that executes an ice making operation to make ice in the ice making unit,
When the control unit detects a command to stop operation of the ice maker, the control unit stops the water supply to the water flow channel by the water supply mechanism and executes a drainage process to drain the water flow channel by the drainage mechanism, and stops operation of the ice maker after the drainage process is executed .
A timer;
A pump for moving water through the water flow channel;
The control unit is capable of transitioning to sanitary control when detecting that the operation of the ice maker has been stopped continuously for a predetermined period of time after the drainage of the water flow channel,
In the sanitation control, the control unit supplies water to the flow channel by the water supply mechanism, causes the pump to move the water in the flow channel so as to clean the flow channel, and drains the water in the flow channel after cleaning by the drainage mechanism .
Further equipped with a mode changeover switch,
In an ice making machine, the mode change switch enables the control unit to switch whether or not to transition to the sanitary control when it detects that operation of the ice making machine has been stopped for a predetermined continuous period of time after the drainage mechanism has drained the water channel.

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