JPH034827B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an auger-type ice maker, and in particular, it automatically opens a drain valve interposed in a drain pipe to remove calcium, magnesium, etc. deposited in the lower part of the cooling cylinder. This invention relates to a cleaning device for an auger ice maker that cleans the inside of a cooling cylinder by draining impurities and replacing them with fresh water.

(b) Prior art and its problems In general, when this type of ice maker is operated for a long period of time, impurities such as calcium and magnesium contained in the water appropriately supplied to the cooling cylinder gradually reach the lower part of the cooling cylinder. It is known that these substances were precipitated and caused adverse effects on equipment.

Conventionally, cleaning devices to deal with this problem periodically open a drain valve to drain the water in the cooling cylinder to prevent the precipitation of impurities. However, with this cleaning method, the drain valve opens and drains the water in the cooling cylinder even when cleaning is not required, resulting in unnecessary waste of water.

(c) Purpose of the Invention The present invention periodically cleans the inside of the cooling cylinder in order to prevent impurities from depositing in the lower part of the cylinder, and does not drain water when cleaning is not required. The purpose is to prevent wasteful use of water and efficiently perform the original cleaning inside the cooling cylinder.

(iv) Embodiments of the Invention Fig. 1 is a system diagram showing an outline of an auger-type ice maker that employs the cleaning method of the present invention. It is a cooling cylinder with a refrigerant pipe 5 wound around its outer surface, which forms a refrigerant circuit together with a refrigerant circuit 4, etc. Inside the cylinder 1, an auger 6 is rotatably supported by an upper bearing 7 and a lower bearing 8. . The auger 6 is connected to an auger motor 10 via a speed reducer 9, and after the ice generated on the inner wall of the cooling cylinder 1 is scraped off by the auger 6, a plurality of compression passages are formed on the outer periphery of the upper bearing 7. 11 and compressed there, the ice is delivered to an ice storage 13 via an outlet pipe 12 connected to the upper part of the cooling cylinder 1. Reference numeral 14 denotes an ice storage amount detection device for detecting a predetermined amount of ice in the ice storage 13, which is of a temperature type. A water storage tank 15 determines the water supply level of the cooling cylinder 1, and the bottom of the tank 15 and the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1 are connected by a water supply pipe 16. 17 is an external water supply pipe that supplies water to the water storage tank 15, and is connected to a water supply valve 19 that is controlled by a water level detection device 18 that detects the water level of the water storage tank 15. The water level detection device 18 adopts a float type in which a reed switch in the pipe is opened and closed by a float 18A with a built-in magnet that rises and falls depending on changes in the water level, and the upper reed switch 18B controls the water supply valve 19, and the lower reed switch 18C is used for detecting water outage. 20 is a drain pipe for cleaning inside the cooling cylinder 1, which is connected to the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1 and has a drain valve 2.
By opening 1, water in the cooling cylinder 1 is drained.

Next, the electric circuit of the present invention will be explained based on FIG. 22 is a power switch, and 23 is a first relay connected in series with the upper reed switch 18B, which has normally closed first relay contacts 23A and 23B. A second relay 24 is connected in series with the lower reed switch 18C, and has a normally open second relay contact 24A and a normally closed second relay contact 24B. 19 is the water supply valve connected in series with the normally closed first relay contact 23B; 14A is the ice storage switch which opens the contact when the ice storage amount detection device 14 detects a predetermined amount of ice in the ice storage 13; 1
In series with 4A, a third relay 25 with a normally open third relay contact 25A, periodically a timer contact 26
Cam type timer 2 that opens and closes A for a predetermined period of time
6, and the drain valve 21 is connected.
Further, the auger motor 10, the blower 3, and the electric compressor 2 are connected in series with the normally open third relay contact 25A.

Next, the cleaning operation of the present invention including the ice making operation will be explained. When the power switch 22 is turned on, if the water storage tank 15 is empty, the first relay 23 is not energized, so the water supply valve 19, which is energized via the normally closed first relay contact 23B, is opened to supply water to the water storage tank 15. At this time, since the lower reed switch 18C is closed, the second relay 24 is energized, the normally closed second relay contact 24B is opened, the third relay 25 is in the de-energized state, and the normally open third relay 24 is energized. Contact 2
Since 5A is open, auger motor 1
0, blower 3 and compressor 2 do not operate.

When water is supplied to a predetermined water level in the water storage tank 15, the upper reed switch 18B is closed, the first relay 23 is energized, and the normally closed first relay contact 23A is closed.
and 23B are opened. As a result, the water supply valve 19
closes to stop the water supply, while the second relay 24
The second relay contact 24B is de-energized and is normally closed.
Since the third relay 25 is excited, the normally open third relay contact 25A is closed and the auger motor 10, blower 3, and compressor 2 are operated to start ice-making operation. At the same time, timer 26 is started. Note that the water supply level in the cooling cylinder 1 increases as the water level of the water storage tank 15 rises, and is eventually controlled to a predetermined level of the water storage tank 15.

As described above, when the ice making operation starts, the ice generated on the inner wall of the cooling cylinder 1 is scraped off by the rotation of the auger 6 and transferred to the compression passage 11, where the compressed ice passes through the outlet pipe 12. The ice is then continuously sent to the ice storage 13.

When a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the start of the timer 26, the contact 26A closes, energizes the drain valve 21, opens the drain valve 21, and drains the ice-making water with high impurity concentration in the lower part of the cooling cylinder 1. While draining water from the pipe 20 to the outside, fresh water is supplied from the water storage tank 15 to replace the ice-making water in the cooling cylinder 1 and clean the inside of the cooling cylinder 1. Then, when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the timer contact 26A was closed, the timer contact 26A opens again, cuts off the power to the drain valve 21, closes the drain valve 21, and finishes cleaning the inside of the cooling cylinder 1.

While the periodic cleaning in which the drain valve 21 is periodically operated for a predetermined period of time to drain the ice-making water in the cooling cylinder 1 is repeated, the amount of ice stored in the ice storage 13 gradually increases, and the amount of ice stored in the ice storage 13 gradually increases. When the amount detection device 14 detects a predetermined amount of ice, the ice storage switch 14A is opened. This cuts off the power to the timer 26, and at this time, if the timer contact 26A is closed and the drain valve 21 is in the energized state, the drain valve 2
1 closes to stop cleaning, and the remaining cleaning starts when the ice storage amount detection device 14 returns and the ice storage switch 14A closes. Further, when the timer contact 26A is open and the drain valve 21 is closed, the drain valve 21 continues to be closed at least until the ice storage amount detection device 14 returns and the ice storage switch 14A is closed.

On the other hand, when the ice storage amount detection device 14 detects a predetermined amount of ice in the ice storage 13 and opens the ice storage switch 14A, the excitation of the third relay 25 is canceled and the normally open third relay contact 25A is opened. The motor 10, the blower 3, and the electric compressor 2 stop, and the ice making operation enters a stopped state.

In this manner, when the ice-making operation is stopped, the supply of water from the water supply pipe 16 to the cooling cylinder 1 is stopped, so that precipitation of impurities is stopped. That is, when the ice storage amount detection device 14 is activated and the ice making operation is stopped, there is no need for cleaning, and as described above, the ice storage amount detection device 14 returns to the state where the drain valve 21 is closed and the ice making operation is resumed. is restarted, and the cooling cylinder 1 is discharged from the water supply pipe 16.
This will continue until water enters the area.

In the embodiment of the present invention, when the ice storage amount detection device 14 is activated, the power supply to the timer 26 is cut off and the timer contact 26A is opened and closed during the actual operating time. As long as the timer 26 is connected in series, even if the timer 26 is continuously energized, it does not depart from the gist of the present invention. Furthermore, the ice storage 13 is not limited to being placed separately, and may be placed on the cooling cylinder 1, for example. Further, the ice storage amount detecting device 14 is not limited to a temperature type, and it is of course possible to adopt a mechanical type or an electric type, for example.

(E) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention operates by periodically opening the drain valve for a predetermined period of time using a timer to drain the water in the cooling cylinder from the drain pipe and replace it with fresh water. , efficiently cleans the inside of the cooling cylinder, prevents the precipitation of impurities in the lower part of the cooling cylinder, and operates the equipment without any trouble.Moreover, when the ice storage amount detection device is activated and the ice making operation is stopped, It is effective in saving water as it prevents unnecessary washing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an auger ice maker equipped with the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Cooling cylinder, 13... Ice storage, 14 ... Ice storage amount detection device, 14A... Ice storage switch, 20...
...Drain pipe, 21...Drain valve, 26 ...Timer,
26A...Timer contact.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooling cylinder with a passage formed on its outer surface for the refrigerant to be pumped by an electric compressor, and a water supply pipe and a drain valve for supplying water appropriately supplied to a water storage tank into the cylinder at the bottom of the cylinder. An auger is rotatably installed in the cooling cylinder to scrape off ice formed on the inner wall of the cylinder and transport it upward, and the shaved ice transferred by the auger is compressed. An auger-type ice maker equipped with an ice storage for storing ice includes a timer device that periodically operates the drain valve for a predetermined period of time, and a timer device that detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage and adjusts the ice storage amount to a predetermined level. A cleaning device for an auger-type ice maker, characterized in that an ice storage amount detection device is provided that controls the drain valve so as not to operate in a detection state regardless of the operation of the timer device.