JPH0638014B2 - How to operate the ice tray - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an ice making machine, and more particularly to a water tray operation method for an inverse cell type ice making machine.

(B) Conventional technology Generally, in the reverse cell type ice maker, when ice is formed in many ice making small chambers that open downward, the water tray is tilted to open the ice making small chamber, and the ice making small chamber is separated from the ice making small chamber by hot gas deicing The ice is configured so that it slides on the inclined water tray surface and falls into the ice storage room where it is stored, but at the end of ice making, the lower surface of the ice generated in the ice making small room is in close contact with the water tray surface. It usually occurs, and an excessive load is applied to the drive portion for tilting the water tray due to the close contact between the water tray and ice, which causes damage or damage to the drive portion.

The conventional method for solving the drawbacks of the reverse cell type ice making machine is as follows.
As disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-120065, a water supply method is adopted in which water is sprinkled on the surface of the water tray when the water tray is tilted due to the completion of ice making, and the adhesion between the water tray and ice is dissolved and alleviated.

However, according to such a water supply method, if the water supply temperature is extremely low, it can hardly be expected to alleviate the close contact between the water tray and the ice, and it can be said that this is an effective solution. There wasn't.

As another method, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-43370 describes a structure in which the surface of the water tray is heated by a heater after the ice making operation is completed.

However, this method requires the incorporation of another heating means called a heater, which is very costly to produce, and since no troubles such as disconnection of the heater itself have been solved, the quality of the equipment itself has not been improved. But there is a problem.

Further, since the entire surface of the ice is heated by both the heater and the hot gas, the ice dropped due to the latent heat is reduced by one size.

Further, since this structure de-ices by moving the water tray in parallel from the ice making chamber and peeling it off, a great load is applied to the driving portion.

(C) Object of the invention In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, the present invention reduces the load on the drive device of the water tray that is applied when the water tray is tilted, prevents damage and damage to the drive device, and improves the quality of the ice making itself. Also aims to maintain good.

(D) Structure of the invention The present invention is a cooling device that defines a large number of downwardly opening small ice-making chambers, and is rotatably connected so that one side serves as a fulcrum and the other side opens or closes. And a water tank fixed to the water tray and a circulation pump for circulating the ice-making water in the water tank. The circulation pump is operated. Based on the end of the ice making operation performed by spraying the water in the water tank from the fountain holes formed on the surface of the water tray to the small chambers, the deicing operation of heating the cooler with the hot gas is started, and the deicing operation is started. The present invention provides a method for operating a water tray of an ice maker, wherein tilting of the water tray is started after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of step 1.

(E) Example FIG. 1 is a side view showing a partially cutaway ice making machine for carrying out the present invention. A large number of ice making small chambers (1A) opening downward.
With a cooler (1) having an evaporating pipe (2) for refrigeration on the outer surface of the upper wall and each small chamber (1A) with sufficient allowance from below, each small chamber (1A) on the surface A water tray (5) having a corresponding fountain hole (3) and return holes (4) on both sides thereof, and the water tray (5)
A water tank (6) fixed to the return hole (4), the water in the water tank (6) is connected to the water supply pipe (7), and then the distribution pipe (8) to the fountain hole.
Circulation pump (9) that circulates from (3) to each small chamber (1A), drive unit (11) including a deceleration motor (10) that can rotate forward and backward to tilt and return the water tray (5), and water supply A sprinkler (13) that sprays water on the surface of the water tray (5) when the valve (12) is open, and a float (14B) in a float tank (14A) that communicates with the bottom of the water tank (6).
The water level switch (14C) is actuated by the water level switch (14C) to detect a predetermined water level in the water tank (6), which constitutes a so-called reverse cell type ice making device.

Thus, the drive unit (11) is a mounting plate fixed to the support beam (15).
The first and second arms (17A) and (17B) extending in opposite directions to the output shaft of the speed reduction motor (10) supported by (16) and the peeling aid of the water tray (5) in the middle part Drive cam with section (17C)
(17) is connected, the other end of the coil spring (18) attached to the end of the first arm (17A) of the cam (17) is connected to the side of the water tray (5), and the water tray ( The rear part of 5) is supported by the fulcrum shaft (19). (2
Reference numeral 0) is a seesaw-type control switch whose contacts are switched by the first and second arms (17A) and (17B) and which controls to stop energizing the reduction motor (10).

Next, the electric circuit of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. (2
1) is a refrigerating electric compressor, and (22) is a first timer for controlling the end of the ice making operation, and has a first timer contact (22A) that closes the contact when a predetermined time has elapsed. (23) is a deicing detection thermostat that controls the end of deicing operation.
When the temperature of (1) drops to a predetermined temperature, it is switched to the L contact (23A), and when it rises to a predetermined temperature, it is switched to the H contact (23B). (24) is a first relay connected in series with an ice storage switch (25) that closes the contacts when a predetermined amount of ice storage is detected. Normally closed first relay contact (24A) and normally open first relay contact ( 24B). (26) is the second relay, which is the normally closed second relay contact (2
6A) and (26B) and normally open second relay contacts (26C) and (26D). (27) is the third relay, which is the normally open third relay contact (2
7A) and (27B). (12) is the water level switch (14C)
It is a water supply valve connected in series with. (20Al) and (20A2) are tilting contacts of the control switch (20), and (20B1) and (20B2) are returning contacts of the control switch (20). (10) is a control switch
The deceleration motor is normally or reversely rotated by switching of (20), (9) is the circulation pump, (28) is a condenser air cooling fan, and (29) is a hot gas valve. Also, (30) is a second timer that starts at the same time as the start of deicing operation by hot gas. The set time varies slightly depending on the model and is required experimentally, but at least the deicing detection thermostat (23) is 2nd timer contact (30A), tilting contact (20A2), which closes the contact at the initial stage of de-icing operation before detecting detachment
And the deceleration motor (10). The water level detecting device (14) is mechanically provided with a differential so that water is not supplied during the ice making operation.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. As shown by the solid line in Fig. 1, the water tray (5) is in a horizontal state with each small chamber (1A) closed, and when the power is turned on, the normally closed first relay contact (24A) and the water level switch (14C) are turned on. The water supply valve (12) which is energized via the water is opened, and water is sprayed from the water sprinkler (13) onto the surface of the water tray (5), and water is supplied to the water tank (6) mainly through the return hole (4). In addition, the electric compressor (21) operates to cool the cooler (1), the normally closed first relay contact (24A), the tilting contact (20A1), and the normally closed second relay contact (24A).
The circulation pump (9) and the condenser air-cooling fan (28) operate via the relay contact (26A) to start the ice making operation, and when the water level in the water tank (6) reaches a predetermined level, the float (14B ) Opens the contact of the water level switch (14C), and the water supply valve (1
The power supply to the water tank (6) is terminated by turning off the power supply to 2) to stop watering.

Thus, the water in the water tank (6) is sprayed from the fountain holes (3) to the ice making small chambers (1A) through the water supply pipe (7) and the distribution pipe (8), and frozen in the small chambers (1A). The remaining water is returned from the return hole (4) to the water tank (6) and the water circulation operation is repeated. After the start of ice making, when the temperature of the cooler (1) drops to a predetermined temperature, the deicing detection thermostat (23) switches from the H contact (23B) to the L contact (23A) to start the first timer (22), When a predetermined time by the timer (22) has passed, the first timer contact (22A) is closed and the second relay (26) is excited, and the normally closed second relay contact
The second relay contact that is normally open when (26A) and (26B) are opened.
(26C) and (26D) are closed.

As a result, the circulation pump (9) and the fan (28) are stopped, the ice making operation is terminated, the hot gas valve (29) is energized, the valve (29) is opened, and the hot gas is circulated through the evaporation pipe (2). Then, the cooling device (1) is heated to start the deicing operation of the frozen ice in each ice making compartment (1A). At the same time, the second timer
(30) starts, and the second timer contact (30A) closes after a predetermined time has passed from the start of the deicing operation, and the first timer contact (22A), the tilting contact (20A2), and the second timer contact (30A)
The deceleration motor (10) is energized to rotate forward through the water tray (5).
Start tilting.

In this way, by starting the tilting of the water tray (5) after the start of the de-icing operation, the adhesion force between the ice and the surface of the water tray (5) is relaxed, and the peeling aid section of the drive cam (17) is relaxed. (17C) is a water tray from ice
The force for peeling off (5) is reduced, and the overload on the drive device (11) can be reduced.

When part of the remaining ice making water in the water tank (6) is drained while the water tray (5) is tilting, the water level switch (14C) is closed, and the water supply valve (12) is energized to sprinkler ( Start spraying the surface of the water tray (5) from 13) for cleaning. Thus, the second arm (17B) of the drive cam (17) causes the control switch (20) to move to the tilt contact (20A).
When switching from 1) and (20A2) to return contact (20B1) and (20B2), the deceleration motor (10) is de-energized and the water tray (5) is set to the first position.
The tilting ends at the tilted position where the ice making compartment (1A) is opened as shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure. In this state, water is left in the water tank (6) at the level shown by the dotted line (X) in Fig. 1 to prevent idle operation at the start of the circulation pump (9) in the ice making operation of the next cycle. ing.

Then, the ice is released from each ice making chamber (1A), and the deicing detection thermostat (23) senses a predetermined rising temperature of the cooler (1) to change from the L contact (23A) to the H contact (23B). When switched, the power supply to the first timer (22) is cut off and the first timer contact (22A) returns to normal. At this time, the excitation of the second relay (26) is released, the normally closed second relay contacts (26A) and (26B) are normally closed, and the normally open second relay contacts (26C) and (26C) are connected.
Since D) opens normally, the return contact of the control switch (20)
(20B1), the deceleration motor (10) is energized via the normally closed second relay contact (26B), this time reversely rotating, the drive cam (17) rotates clockwise and the water tray (5) Start the rebound. Then, the first arm (17A) of the drive cam (17) causes the control switch (20) to move from the return contacts (20B1) and (20B2) to the tilt contacts (20A1) and (20A).
When switching to 2), the deceleration motor (10) is de-energized and the water tray (5) finishes its return movement at the horizontal position where the ice making compartment (1A) is closed again as shown by the solid line in Fig. 1. At this time, the hot gas valve (29) is de-energized to end the de-icing operation and start cooling the cooler (1) to start the circulation pump (9) and fan.
Operate (28) to start the ice making operation of the next cycle. At this time, the power supply to the second timer (30) is cut off, and the second timer contact (30A) returns to normal. Then the water tank
When the water level in (6) reaches the specified water level, the float (14
The contact of the water level switch (14C) is opened by B) and the water supply valve
The power supply to (12) is cut off and the water supply operation to the water tank (6) is terminated.

(F) Effect of the Invention As described above, the present invention is a method for operating a water tray in an inverse cell type ice making machine in which one side is a fulcrum and the other side is opened or closed, and the ice making operation is completed. Since the tilting of the water tray is started after a predetermined time delay from the start of the de-icing operation based on the above, it is possible to reduce the adhesion between the ice tray and the water tray and to gradually peel the water tray and the ice from the other side. Therefore, it is possible to reduce an excessive load on the drive device when the water tray is tilted, and to exert an excellent advantage that the drive device can be prevented from being damaged or broken, and at the same time, it is possible to maintain the quality of the produced ice in good condition. Is also played.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of an ice making machine for carrying out the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the present invention. (1) ...... Cooler, (1A) …… Ice making chamber, (5) …… Water tray, (11)
...... Drive device, (30) …… Second timer, (30A) …… Second
Timer contact.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cooler having a large number of downwardly opening ice making compartments defined therein, and a cooler which is rotatably connected to one side as a fulcrum so as to open or close the other side. It is equipped with a water tray that can be tilted back and forth, a water tank fixed to the water tray, and a circulation pump that circulates the ice-making water in the water tank. Based on the end of the ice making operation performed by spraying water from the fountain holes formed on the surface of the water tray to each of the small chambers, the deicing operation of heating the cooler with the hot gas is started, and a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of this dehydration operation A method of operating a water tray of an ice making machine, characterized in that tilting of the water tray is started later.