JPH0533891Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field] This case concerns ice-making equipment.

[Prior Art] One type of ice-making device is a device that produces ice cubes by blowing air into ice-making water stored in a cooling tank or a tank placed in the same tank while cooling the water. An example of this is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-27781.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in order to take out ice cubes in such an ice making device, the ice cubes are generally lifted up along with the tank, the tank is tilted downward, and the ice cubes start to slide out due to their own weight or the like. For this reason, it takes a lot of effort to take out the ice cubes.
Power is required, and the extraction device must be large and powerful.

Therefore, the present invention reduces the labor and power required to take out the ice cubes by unfreezing the ice cubes from the inner wall of the tank and allowing them to be taken out smoothly without damaging the ice cubes. The goal is to reduce it.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an ice making apparatus of the type described above, including a first means for unfreezing the ice cubes frozen in the tank and the inner wall of the tank, and a first means for unfreezing the ice cubes and the inner wall of the tank. a second means for floating the ice cubes so as to protrude upwardly from the upper end opening of the tank; and a third means for extracting the upwardly protruding ice cubes from the tank and transporting them to a predetermined position. an ice-making water supply pipe opening the second means at the inner bottom of the tank; and a diffusion plate disposed at the inner bottom of the tank with a slight distance from the bottom and facing the open end of the supply pipe. It is characterized by being constructed by.

[Operations and Effects of the Invention] According to this configuration, the ice cubes in the tank levitate through the tank by the action of the first means and the second means and project upward from the upper end opening of the tank. At this time, the ice cubes are extracted from the tank by the third means and transported to a predetermined position. In this way, since the ice making apparatus is configured to take out the ice cubes separately from the tank, the labor, power, etc. required for taking out the ice cubes can be significantly reduced. In addition, in order to make the ice cubes float and protrude upward, it is sufficient to supply ice-making water into the tank from the supply pipe, and as a result, the ice cubes float due to the difference in specific gravity with the water and protrude from the top opening of the tank. do. In this case, water flowing into the inner bottom of the tank from the open end of the supply pipe hits the diffuser plate and is diffused around the diffuser plate, passing through the outer periphery of the diffuser plate and reaching the lower end of the ice cube. Therefore, when the supply water whose temperature is higher than that of the ice flows in, the ice cubes do not directly hit the ice cubes, and the ice cubes float smoothly without being damaged by the supply water and protrude from the upper opening of the tank.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Figs. 1 to 3 show an ice making apparatus according to the present invention. The ice making device is a two-tank ice making device having two cooling tanks, and includes an ice making mechanism 10, an air supply mechanism 20, and an ice delivery mechanism 30.

The ice making mechanism 10 includes rectangular cooling tanks 11a and 11b.
Each cooling tank 11a, 11b has a cooling pipe 12a, 12b wound around its outer periphery, and is housed in a heat insulating layer 14 provided in a casing 13. The bottom center of each cooling layer 11a, 11b communicates with a water storage tank 16 via a water supply pipe 15a, and the upper side of one cooling tank 11b communicates with the water storage tank 16 via an overflow pipe 15b. , each cooling tank 11a, 11b
Water for ice making is supplied from the water storage tank 16 until it reaches a certain height. The water in the water storage tank 16 is always maintained at a constant level by a water supply valve (not shown) that opens and closes under the action of the float 16a. At the bottom of each cooling tank 11a, 11b, each diffusion plate 17a, 17b is arranged with a slight distance from the bottom surface. Each of the diffusion plates 17a, 17b and the water supply pipe 15a constitute the second means of the present invention for floating and protruding the ice cubes C, and each of the diffusion plates 17a, 17b is attached to each opening end of the water supply pipe 15a. They are facing each other. Each cooling pipe 12a, 12b
is connected to the refrigeration circuit shown in FIG. In the refrigeration circuit, the compressor 18a, the condenser 18b, and both cooling pipes 12a, 12b are connected through first and second connecting pipes 19a, 19b. A dryer 18c and an expansion valve 18d are installed in the conduit 19b. In addition, both cooling pipes 12a, 1
2b and the compressor 18a are connected through a third connecting pipe 19c. On the other hand, between the compressor 18a and the condenser 18b of the first connection pipe 19a and the expansion valve 18
d and the cooling pipe 12a is the fourth connecting pipe line 1.
9d, and an electromagnetic on-off valve 18e is interposed in the conduit 19d. During operation of such a refrigeration circuit, when the on-off valve 18e is closed, the coolant circulates through the pipes 19a→19b→19c, and when the on-off valve 18e is opened, the coolant circulates through the pipes 19a→1.
Cycle from 9d to 19c. This circulation pipe 19a→
The cooling medium circulating from 19d to 19c is hot gas, and the circulation pipe connects ice cubes C and cooling tank 11.
This constitutes the first means of the present invention for releasing the frozen state between the a and 11b.

The air supply mechanism 20 includes an air pump 21, a pair of supply hoses 22, a winding drum 23, and a pressure detection switch 24. It is installed. The supply hose 22 is equipped with a jet nozzle 22a at its tip, and the cooling tank 11 is
a, 11b, and blows air from an air pump 21 into the ice-making water in the tanks 11a, 11b to stir the water. The pressure detection switch 24 detects when the pressure inside the supply hose 22 reaches a predetermined pressure due to clogging of the nozzle 22a, and switches the winding drum 2
3 is driven for a short time, whereby the supply hose 22 is intermittently wound up by a winding drum 23 for a predetermined length.

The ice transport mechanism 30 includes a cart 3 movably provided on a pair of rails 31a and 31b provided on the upper part of the machine.
2. Clamp 33, first operation chain 34 for operating the trolley, second operation chain 35 for clamp operation
It is equipped with The trolley 32 is a first operation chain 34
It moves on rails 31a, 31b by the operation of , and is provided with a pair of support plates 32a on both sides thereof. Both support plates 32a extend above the cooling tank, and their lower ends are formed into hook portions 32b. As shown in FIG. 4, the clamp 33 is equipped with four claws 33a to 33d, and the pair of claws 33a and 33b are connected to two connecting rods 33e and 33d.
33f, and the other pair of claws 33c, 33d are connected by connecting rods 33g, 33h. In such a clamp 33, a chain 3 is provided in the center of the operating rod 33i.
One end of the chain 36a is connected to the other end of the chain 36a.
is meshed with a sprocket 36b assembled on the truck 32, and the other end is stored in a storage box 32c provided on the truck 32. Sprocket 36
b is operated by the second operation chain 35, which rotates the sprocket 36b to move the clamp 33 up and down between the support plates 32a. Clamp 33
is supported by the respective connecting rods 33e and 33g being latched to the latching portions 32b of both the supporting plates 32a at the lowest end positions of both the supporting plates 32a. In this supported state, the claw portions 33a,
33b, 33c, 33d are each connecting rod 33e,
It rotates around 33g and expands at the lower end.

In an ice making device having such a configuration, each cooling tank 1
Water for ice making is supplied to the tanks 1a and 11b until they are approximately full, and the supply hoses 22 are placed in front of the cooling tanks 11a and 11b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1, and operation is started. In the refrigeration circuit, the on-off valve 18e is closed and the cooling medium flows through the pipe 19a→
19b → 19c, each cooling tank 11a, 11
The water in b is gradually cooled and frozen from its outer periphery. During this time, air is supplied into each cooling tank 11a, 11b from an air pump 21 through a supply hose 22, and this air functions to stir the water and turn it into transparent ice. The water in each cooling tank 11a, 11b gradually freezes, but when it reaches the state shown in FIG.
increase the internal pressure. As a result, pressure detection switch 2
4 operates to drive the winding drum 23 for a short time to wind up the supply hose 22 to a predetermined length. This state is repeated and the supply hose 22 is intermittently wound up to a predetermined length, and during this period freezing progresses until rectangular transparent ice cubes are formed and the supply hose 22
is finally wound up to a predetermined length, and at this time the supply hose 2
The second protruding piece 22b operates a switch (not shown) to switch the on-off valve 18e and complete the ice-making process.

When ice making is completed, the on-off valve 18 is activated by the operation of the above switch.
e is opened, and the cooling medium flows through the pipes 19a→19d→
Cycle through 19c. This circulating cooling medium is a hot gas, which unfreezes the ice cubes that are frozen to the inner circumferential walls of each of the cooling tanks 11a and 11b. As the freezing is lifted, the water in the water storage tank 16 flows into each cooling tank 11a, 11b, and as a result, the ice cubes C in each cooling tank 11a, 11b float to the surface as shown in FIG. , 11b, and the ice cubes on the side where the clamp 33 is waiting face into each of the claws 33a to 33d.

In this state, when the second operation chain 35 is operated to raise the clamp 33, the clamp 33 grips the head of the ice cube C with each of the claws 33a to 33d and pulls it out of the cooling tank 11a, and then the first operation is performed. When the truck 32 is moved to a predetermined position by operating the chain 34 and the clamp 33 is lowered to the lowest end by operating the second operating chain 35, the ice cube C is conveyed to the predetermined position. Perform the above operations in cooling tank 1.
Do this also for the ice cube C protruding from 1b.

In this way, in this ice making device, unlike the conventional device in which ice cubes C are taken out and transported together with the tank, only ice cubes C are taken out from the tank and transported. The labor, power, etc. required for taking out can be significantly reduced.
In addition, the ice cubes C that have been released from the frozen state float to the surface by the water supplied from the water supply pipe 15a and protrude from each of the cooling tanks 11a and 11b.
The water, which is higher in temperature than the ice flowing into a and 11b, hits each diffusion plate 17a and 17b and is diffused to the surroundings,
It reaches the lower end of the ice cube C via the outer periphery of the diffusion plates 17a and 17b. For this reason, when the high temperature supply water flows in, it does not directly hit the ice cubes C and cause the ice cubes C to freeze and thaw, causing holes or cracks, and therefore the ice cubes C are not damaged in any way by the supply water. It floats smoothly without any
And protrudes from the upper end opening of each cooling tank 11a, 11b.

In the above embodiment, each cooling tank 11a,
Although a two-tank ice making device that operates the cooling tanks 11b at the same time has been described, the present invention is applicable to various types of ice making such as a double tank ice making device that operates multiple cooling tanks alternately, and a single tank ice making device that has only one cooling tank. It can also be implemented in devices.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of an ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view corresponding to FIG. A partially cutaway side view, FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamp in the same device, and FIG. 5 is a refrigeration circuit diagram in the same device. Explanation of symbols, 10...Ice making mechanism, 11a, 11
b...Cooling tank, 12a, 12b...Cooling pipe,
15a...Water supply pipe, 16...Water storage tank, 1
7a, 17b...Diffusion plate, 18e...Opening/closing valve, 2
0...Air supply mechanism, 21...Air pump,
22... Supply hose, 23... Winding drum, 24
...Pressure detection switch, 30...Ice transport mechanism, 3
2...Dolly, 33...Clamp, 3...Mechanism, 3
2...Dolly, 33...Clamp, 34,35...
Operation chain.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Cooling water while blowing air into ice-making water stored in a cooling tank or a tank placed in the same tank.
In an ice-making apparatus for producing ice cubes, the ice cubes include a first means for unfrozen ice cubes frozen in the tank and an inner wall of the tank, and a first means for causing the unfrozen ice cubes to float to a second means for projecting upwardly from the upper end opening of the tank; and a third means for extracting the upwardly projecting ice cubes from the tank and transporting them to a predetermined position; An ice making device comprising: an ice making water supply pipe opening at the inner bottom; and a diffusion plate disposed at the inner bottom of the tank with a slight distance from the bottom and facing the open end of the supply pipe. Device.