JPH0531492Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial application field This invention relates to a separate structure for a control board in an automatic ice maker, and more specifically relates to lamps that display the operating status and push button switches that change the operation. This invention relates to a separation structure for a control board configured to reduce the number of parts, effectively prevent each part from peeling off from the board, and insulate a space in which the control board is housed.

BACKGROUND ART Automatic ice making machines having various configurations have been proposed as devices for continuously producing ice cubes, ice sheets, and other crushed ice. For example, by closing a large number of ice-making chambers that open downward from the bottom so that they can be opened and closed using water trays, and then injecting ice-making water into the ice-making chambers through the water trays, ice cubes are gradually poured into the ice-making chambers. So-called closed cell ice making machines are widely used. In addition, there are many ice-making compartments that open downward.
A so-called open-cell ice maker that directly supplies ice-making water without going through a water tray and forms ice cubes in the small chamber, or a so-called open-cell ice maker that directly supplies ice-making water to form ice cubes in the small chamber, and Drop-down ice makers that form ice sheets on a plate surface are also widely commercialized.

These automatic ice making machines generally include an ice making mechanism in the upper part of the inside of the machine, and a refrigeration mechanism for cooling the ice making section of the ice making mechanism in the lower part of the machine. The recent trend has been to control the operations of various electrical equipment and components disposed in the ice making mechanism and the freezing mechanism by means of control means incorporating a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a "microcomputer"). The present invention relates to a separate structure for a control board installed in an automatic ice maker equipped with a control circuit represented by a microcomputer, so the outline of the ice maker will be explained using a jet-type automatic ice maker as an example. .

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an ice making mechanism 5 is provided at the upper part of the ice making machine main body 1, which is generally box-shaped.
The ice cubes produced by this ice making mechanism 5 are discharged and stored in an ice storage 14 inside the ice making machine. The ice-making mechanism 5 includes an ice-making compartment 2 that defines a large number of ice-making compartments that open downward, an evaporator 3 disposed on the top surface of the ice-making compartment 2, and a tiltable arrangement directly below the ice-making compartment 2. It basically consists of a water tray 4 integrally equipped with a tank 9.

As shown in the figure, a geared motor 7 for tilting the water tray 4 during the de-icing cycle is disposed on the side of the water tray 4 (the side facing a front panel 18, which will be described later), and a geared motor 7 is provided on the side of the water tray 4 (the side facing a front panel 18, which will be described later), and a geared motor 7 is provided for tilting the water tray 4 during the deicing cycle. A pump motor 8 for pumping ice-making water stored in the tank 9 to the water tray 4 is disposed on the side. Furthermore, the ice making mechanism 5
It also includes a detection element 6 such as a thermistor for detecting the formation of ice cubes in the ice making compartment. A refrigeration mechanism consisting of a condenser, a compressor, a dehydrator, a de-icing solenoid valve, and a fan motor (all not shown) is installed at the bottom of the ice maker, and the evaporator 3 connected to the refrigeration mechanism The ice making chamber 2 is cooled by circulating and supplying a refrigerant.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front of the ice maker includes a ventilation louver section 12 at the lowest stage, and an opening/closing door 16 located at the middle stage that opens toward the front and allows ice to be taken out from the ice storage 14. , and an uppermost front panel 18, which is disposed between the top plate 20 and the opening/closing door 16.

The front panel 18 is formed as a rectangular box that is made of, for example, a stainless steel plate and is open on the back side, and has a board 28 inside which electronic components such as the microcomputer 22, electromagnetic relay 24, and power transformer 26 are mounted. Space 29 that can be stored vertically
is defined. As is clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, the vertical open surface of the panel 18 facing the storage space can be sealed by a cover 32 which is lined with a heat insulating material 30 of a required thickness on the back side. The mounting board 28 is vertically fixed to the cover 32 by means of attachment means such as bolts 34.

Note that each electronic component mounted on the board 28 is oriented toward the front panel 18. The elements and electrical components disposed on the ice making mechanism 5 disposed on the left side in the figure of the cover 32 and the mounting board 2
Each electronic component mounted in 8 is connected with an electric wire (not shown). Further, each electrical component of the refrigeration mechanism is also connected to each electronic component of the mounting board 28 via electric wires.

The front panel 18 is provided with a rectangular operation window 36 that has a required size and is open.
An operation name plate 38 is attached to the operation window 36 from the back side. The operation plate 38 is provided with, for example, a light-emitting surface 40 for switching and displaying various operating states, a push button 42 that can selectively switch various control operations in the control circuit, and the like. Further, a lamp 44 that can correspond to the illumination surface 40 is provided on the mounting board 28 provided on the back side of the operation nameplate 38, and a pushbutton 4
A pushbutton switch 46 compatible with 2 is provided. This makes it possible to easily check the operating status from the front side of the ice maker and to perform switching operations.

Problems to be solved by the invention The mounting board 28 and the front panel 18 are:
As shown in FIG. 6, the power transformer 26 mounted on the board 28 (the dimension protruding from the board surface is the highest) is spaced apart from the height dimension _h1 . However, the height _h2 of the lamp 44 disposed on the operation nameplate 38 and the height dimension of the pushbutton switch 46
h ₃ is the height dimension h ₁ of the power transformer 26
extremely small compared to . Therefore, the mounting board 2
By erecting a support tube 48 at 8 as shown in the figure and attaching a lamp 44 to the tip of this support tube 48,
A lamp 44 can be positioned close to the illumination surface 40. Furthermore, at present, a joint 50 of a predetermined length is provided on the back surface of the push button 42, and the push button switch 46 provided on the mounting board 28 is pressed via this joint 50.

Therefore, the number of support tubes 48 and joints 50 corresponding to the number of lamps 44 and pushbutton switches 46 disposed on the mounting board 28 is required, which has the drawback of increasing the number of parts. Furthermore, when the operator presses the pushbutton switch 46, mechanical stress is inevitably applied to the mounting board 28 (only at the position where the pushbutton switch 46 is arranged), so each component soldered to the mounting board 28 There were problems that caused the material to peel off over time, cause poor contact, and cause failures.

Further, as the push button switch 46, a so-called "mechanical key switch" is used, in which the distance between the contacts is set extremely short (the operating stroke for turning ON and OFF is about 1 mm). In this case, the distance between the pushbutton switch 46 and the joint 50 must be set to an extremely small distance, which requires high machining accuracy of the joint 50 and requires complicated assembly work. There was a problem.

Further, the ice making mechanism 5, as shown in FIG.
Since it occupies almost the entire upper internal space of the ice making machine, the storage space (the distance from the front panel 18 to the cover 32) of the storage space 29 defined on the side of the ice making mechanism 5 is extremely limited. ing. However, the distance between the mounting board 28 and the front panel 18 needs to be set larger than the height of the power transformer 26 mounted on the board 28, as described above. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a heat insulating material 30 lined on the back surface of the cover 32 is thinly formed in a portion facing the geared motor 7 and pump motor 8, thereby bringing the cover 32 closer to the ice making mechanism 5. Thus, sufficient space is secured in the storage space 29 to accommodate the mounting board 28.

By the way, the storage space 29 is located on the front panel 18.
Since the storage space 29 is only isolated from the outside, the inside of the storage space 29 is kept at room temperature. However, as described above, by reducing the thickness of the heat insulating material 30, there is a problem in that the cold air inside the housing is transferred into the storage space 29, resulting in dew condensation on the mounting board 28. Furthermore, assembly work, periodic maintenance inspections, and other repairs of the mounting board 28 are performed from inside the ice maker casing, but since the various electronic components of the mounting board 28 are oriented toward the front panel 18, work efficiency is reduced. There are also disadvantages.

Purpose of the invention The present invention was proposed in order to suitably solve the above-mentioned drawbacks inherent in the control means of automatic ice making machines, and to reduce the number of parts related to display parts and operation parts. It is an object of the present invention to provide a separate structure for a control board that can reduce manufacturing costs and improve component life.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to overcome the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, the present invention includes a control means for controlling an ice making mechanism and a freezing mechanism disposed inside the ice making machine body. In an automatic ice maker configured such that a mounting board for a control means is stored in a storage section defined in a front panel, the mounting board is used as a main control board on which the control means is disposed, and various display parts and operation parts. and a separate board on which the control means is mounted, and the main control board located in the storage section is arranged with the mounting surface of the control means facing inward of the ice maker main body, and the separated board is mounted on the front panel of the main control board. It is characterized by being placed on the back of an operation nameplate partially provided at an appropriate location.

Embodiments Next, the separation structure of the control board in the automatic ice maker according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, using preferred embodiments. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the invention is applied to a closed cell type automatic ice maker, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to the aforementioned open cell type and flowing type automatic ice maker. It can be suitably used. Further, in connection with FIGS. 4 to 6, the same members as those described in the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main parts of an automatic ice maker to which the present invention is applied, in which a plurality of brackets 51 are arranged on the back side of the front panel 18 of the ice maker, and a main control board is mounted on the brackets 51. 52 is vertically fixed by mounting means such as bolts 34. The microcomputer 22 and the electromagnetic relay 24 are provided on the surface of the main control board 52 facing the cover 32.
Electronic components such as
It is connected to elements and electrical components disposed in the ice making mechanism 5 and the freezing mechanism via electric wires 64 connected to a connector 62 connected to the board 52. Note that the electric wire 64 is inserted into the through hole 32a bored in the cover 32.
It is derived through.

As shown in the figure, the cover 32 includes a main control board 5.
A concave portion 32b is provided in a portion facing the power transformer 26 mounted on the substrate 2, so that the distance between the substrate 52 and the cover 32 can be reduced. That is, by arranging the back surface of the main control board 52 close to the front panel 18 so as to face it, the distance between the front panel 18 and the cover 32 can be set to be sandwiched therebetween. Therefore, the thickness of the heat insulating material 30 lining the back surface of the cover 32 can be set to a size that prevents heat transfer of cold air inside the housing into the storage space 29.

The front panel 18 is provided with a rectangular operation window 36 that has a required size and is open.
An operation name plate 38 is attached to the operation window 36 from the back side. As mentioned above, this operation nameplate 38 includes a lighting surface 40 that switches and displays various operating conditions,
A pushbutton 42 and the like that can selectively switch various control operations in the control circuit are provided.

Front panel 1, as clearly shown in FIG.
A plurality of brackets 54 are protruded from the back side of the device 8 at positions close to the operation window 36.
A separation board 58 is attached to 4 via screws 56. A lamp 44 and a pushbutton switch 46 are mounted on the separation board 58 in correspondence with the illumination surface 40 and pushbutton 42 provided on the operation nameplate 38. It is connected to the microcomputer 22 arranged on the board 52 by an electric wire 60.

In this way, in the embodiment, the mounting board 28 described in the prior art is independently separated into the main control board 52 and the separation board 58, and the main control board 52 is
Its back surface is disposed close to and opposite to the front panel 18. As a result, the storage space 29 can be sandwiched, and the thickness of the heat insulating material 30 lined on the back surface of the cover 32 is set to be sufficiently large.
High insulation of the storage space 29 can be achieved.

Note that the distance between the operation nameplate 38 and the separation board 58 is such that the lamp 44 mounted directly on the separation board 58 is close to the illumination surface 40, and the protruding end surface of the push button switch 46 and the opposing end surface of the push button 42 are close to each other. , is set in advance to have an optimum spacing dimension. Therefore, there is no need to provide the support tube 48 and joint 50 as in the conventional case, and the number of parts can be reduced.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a modification of the control board separation structure shown in FIG. A spaced apart inclined part 18a is formed, and the operation window 3 is connected to this inclined part 18a.
6 have been established. On the back side of the operation window 36, an operation nameplate 38 having a light-emitting surface 40 and a pushbutton 42 is arranged, and a separation board 58 on which a lamp 44 and a pushbutton switch 46 are mounted.
is attached via a bracket 54.
Thereby, the visibility of the illumination surface 40 can be improved, and the operability of the push button 42 can be further improved.

The automatic ice making machine according to the embodiment includes a main control board 52 on which electronic components such as a microcomputer 22, an electromagnetic relay 24, and a power transformer 26 for controlling the ice making mechanism 5 are arranged.
By separating the lamp 44 and the separation board 58 on which the pushbutton switch 46 is arranged, and by arranging this separation board 58 in close proximity to the operation nameplate 38 arranged on the front panel 18, There is no need to interpose the support tube 48 or the joint 50 as in the above, and the number of parts can be reduced.
Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the dimensions of the support tube 48 and the joint 50, and it is possible to omit complicated work and improve work efficiency. Furthermore, even if the push button switch 46 is repeatedly turned on and off over a long period of time, stress is not directly applied to the main control board 52, so that phenomena such as peeling off of the electronic components disposed on the main control board 52 are prevented. Therefore, the life of the parts can be improved.

Furthermore, by arranging the main control board 52 close to the back surface of the front panel 18, it is possible to sandwich the storage space for the main control board 52, thereby making the thickness of the heat insulating material 30 sufficiently large. The heat insulation effect of the storage space 29 can be enhanced.

Further, according to the modification shown in FIG. 3, there is an advantage that the display of various operating states can be easily recognized, and selection and switching of control operations can be easily performed.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the separation structure of the control board in the automatic ice maker according to the present invention, the board on which display parts and operation parts are arranged can be separated from the board on which other main control parts are arranged. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced, complicated assembly work can be omitted, work efficiency can be improved, and manufacturing costs can be reduced. In addition, since the parts on which the pressing operation is performed are separated from the main control board on which each electronic component such as a microcomputer is installed, direct stress is not applied to the board, preventing each electronic component from peeling off from the board. Lifespan can be improved.

Furthermore, there is also the advantage that the operator can greatly improve the ease of viewing and operating lighting parts such as lamps, elements such as switches, and the like.

Furthermore, by arranging the back side of the main control board on the back side of the front panel, it is possible to sandwich the storage space for the board, which increases the thickness of the insulation material and increases the insulation effect. , it is possible to prevent dew condensation from forming on the substrate. In addition, since each electronic component mounted on the main control board is oriented toward the inside of the ice maker, there are many practical benefits such as being able to easily and quickly carry out regular maintenance inspections and repairs of the electronic components. It has beneficial effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the separation structure of the control board in the automatic ice maker according to the present invention.
The figure is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part of the injection-type automatic ice maker according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the control board, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the main part showing a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 4 is an overall perspective view of the prior art injection type automatic ice maker with the opening/closing door open to the front, and Figure 5 shows the internal structure of the injection type automatic ice maker shown in Figure 4. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the main part of FIG. 5. 1...Ice making machine main body, 5...Ice making mechanism, 18...
Front panel, 22... Microcomputer, 28... Mounting board, 29... Storage space, 38... Operation name plate,
44...Lamp, 46...Push button switch, 5
2... Main control board, 58... Separation board.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] [1] The ice making machine body 1 is provided with a control means 22 for controlling the ice making mechanism 5 and the freezing mechanism disposed inside the ice making machine body 1, and a mounting board 28 of the control means 22 is illustrated on the front panel 18. In the automatic ice maker configured to be stored in a storage section 29, the mounting board 28 is connected to a main control board 52 on which the control means 22 is disposed, and various display parts 4.
4 and a separation board 5 on which the operating component 46 is mounted.
8 and a main control board 52 located within the storage section 29.
The mounting surface of the control means 22 is disposed so as to face inward of the ice maker main body 1, and the separation board 58 is disposed on the back surface of the operation name plate 38 partially provided at an appropriate location on the front panel 18. A separate structure for a control board in an automatic ice maker, characterized by the following: [2] The back side of the main control board 52 is arranged facing the back side of the front panel 18, and the separation board 58 is arranged at a predetermined interval on the back side of the operation name plate 38. A display component 44 compatible with the illumination surface 40 provided is disposed, and an operation component 46 compatible with the push button 42 provided on the operation nameplate 38 is mounted, and the main control board 52 and the separation board 58 are connected to each other. A separate structure for a control board in an automatic ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the control board is connected by an electric wire 60. [3] Slanted portion 18a on the front panel 18
An operation nameplate 38 is disposed on the operation window 36 opened in this inclined portion 18a, and the operation nameplate 38
3. The control board separation structure for an automatic ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein a separation board 58 on which the display component 44 and the operation component 46 are mounted is obliquely arranged in parallel with the inclined portion 18a on the back surface of the control board.