JPH0744928Y2 - Structure of the discharge part of the vertical ice carrier - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice vertical transport device suitable for vertical transport of rectangular or cubic ice having a substantially uniform shape produced by an automatic ice making machine, and more particularly, to a structure for discharging ice cubes. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ice cubes produced by an automatic ice-making machine are stored in an ice storage box attached to the automatic ice-making machine or provided independently, and taken out as needed for use. The most primitive and reliable method of taking out ice is to open the front lid of the ice storage box and scoop it out with a scoop, but since a long time ago, there are various types of conveyors that can take out ice cubes without opening the lid one by one. Proposed. That is, as the transfer device, there are a normal conveyor type, a bucket type, a screw feeder type, a reiki means, etc. It required a large installation space. For this reason, the conventional ice storage device is inevitably increased in size when the conventional transportation device is attached, and thus its spread is naturally limited.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional transporting apparatus, the present applicant has previously provided a lower horizontal transporting section and a vertical transporting section extending in a vertical direction substantially orthogonal thereto. We devised and proposed an ice vertical transporting device in which the upper end of the vertical transporting part inclines from the horizontal direction to form a discharge part (Japanese Patent Application No. 3-44931).

This ice vertical transporting device has an endless transporting member composed of a pair of endless tunes and a plurality of horizontal bars (ice-ice supporting portions) interconnecting these tunes. The ice cubes are received between the horizontal bars, and the ice cubes are carried up to the discharge unit via the vertical transport unit and discharged from the discharge port in the discharge unit. FIG. 3 shows the situation of such a discharge part. In FIG. 3, the horizontal bar 2 and the endless tune 1 are moved in the direction of arrow Z by a drive motor (not shown), and the ice cube 4 between the horizontal bars 2 and 2 is guided vertically.
Carry along. The vertical guide 6 is curved near the discharge guide 3 and discharges the ice cube 4 over the discharge guide 3. The released ice cubes 4a are guided to the outlet guide 3a that defines the outlet, and as shown by an arrow Y,
It falls into a lower container (not shown) such as a cup.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above-described ice vertical transport apparatus, that is, in the vertical ice transport apparatus of the type in which the ice cubes are transported upward by an endless transport member having a plurality of ice cube support portions, the ice cubes are continuous. Since the ice cubes are discharged to a required amount and the ice vertical transport device is stopped, the ice cubes may stop in the situation as shown in FIG. 4 depending on the situation. . That is, the ice cube 4b at the head when stopped is partially projected from the upper end of the discharge guide 3. The outlet is open to the outside, so if you leave it as it is,
A drop of ice 13 which has melted from the surface of the ice cube 4b close to the outside air (shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4) and has come out of the discharge guide 3.
Flows over the outlet guide 3a and drops in the direction of arrow X. On the other hand, the drop 15 flowing inside the discharge guide 3 is indicated by the arrow W.
In the direction of.

Normally, even the first ice cube 4b does not always protrude from the upper end of the discharge guide 3 and stops, and in many cases, the droplet 15 due to melting ice inside the discharge guide 3 is Dropping in the direction of arrow W,
As mentioned above, when the ice cubes stick out and stop, the exit guide 3
The water droplets 13 flow on the surface a, wet the surface of the outlet guide 3a, and the water droplets 13 are dropped from the emission opening together with the ice cubes to be emitted next, and are scattered around the cup (not shown). . This is not good for hygiene, and
It is easy for users to feel unsanitary.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a discharge part structure of an ice vertical transporting device in which a drop of melted ice or the like does not flow out to the periphery of the discharge port in any state and always has a clean feeling. Is.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention conveys ice cubes to an upper discharging portion via a vertical conveying portion by an endless conveying member having a plurality of ice cube supporting portions. In the ice vertical transport device, a drainage gap is formed between a discharge guide for guiding ice cubes to a discharge port in the discharge part and an outlet guide defining the discharge port. .

[0009]

[Operation] A drop of ice cubes protruding from the top of the discharge guide and stopped due to melting of ice cubes flows down the outer end of the discharge guide, but is blocked by the drainage gap and does not flow to the outlet guide side, and the ice cubes are conveyed vertically. It will fall along the route and into a problem-free area such as an ice storage room.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

FIG. 1 shows the overall structure of an ice vertical transporting device 10 which adopts the discharging part structure according to the present invention. The ice vertical transport device 10 includes a lower horizontal transport unit A, a vertical transport unit B extending vertically (not necessarily at a right angle) upward from the horizontal transport unit A, and a discharging unit C that may be tilted slightly upward. Have and. The ice is placed on the ice vertical transport device 10 in the horizontal transport unit A, carried up upward in the vertical transport unit B, and discharged in the discharge unit C.

The endless circulation members, that is, the chains 1 and 1 which are circulated and driven along the above-mentioned respective portions A, B and C, have a large number of horizontal bars (corners) at predetermined intervals determined in consideration of the shape and size of ice to be conveyed. They are connected by an ice support part 2. The endless conveying member composed of the chain 1 and the lateral bar 2 is surrounded by a frame 9 also serving as a cover, and the guide sprocket 5 and the drive gears 10a, 1a supported at appropriate positions on the frame 9 are provided.
0b driven sprocket (not shown),
It is rotatably supported by other sprockets, appropriate rails, guides 8 and the like. The drive motor 11 causes the drive gears 10a and 10b to rotate, whereby the chain 1 and the lateral bar 2 orbit the above-mentioned parts to convey ice. Inside the chains 1 and 1, side guide plates 7 are provided facing each other with the horizontal bar 2 sandwiched from both sides.

FIG. 2 shows a portion where the vertical transport section B moves to the discharge section C. The guide 8 is curved at the upper part, and the discharge guide 3 is provided so as to sandwich the chains 1 and 1 and the horizontal bar 2. On the front surface of the discharge guide 3, an outlet guide 3a that defines a discharge port is provided in a protruding manner, and a drain gap 3b having a width L is formed between the two.

As mentioned above, the ice cubes 4 are attached to the chains 1, 1
If the operation of the device 10 is stopped while being carried up by the plurality of horizontal bars 2, the top ice cube 4b may stop in the illustrated state. In this case, the droplet 13 from the protruding portion flows along the front surface of the discharge guide 3, but does not flow to the outlet guide 3a side because of the drainage gap 3b, and there is no problem as in the ice storage chamber in the direct downward direction. It falls to the place.

[0015]

Therefore, according to the present invention, since there is a drainage gap between the discharge guide of the discharge part and the outlet guide,
The droplets from the melted ice do not flow to the outlet side and are all returned to a problem-free location such as the ice storage chamber, so the area around the outlet is always dry, providing a very clean and hygienic outlet structure. Provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an ice vertical transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a portion corresponding to FIG. 2 of a conventional device.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining a defect of the conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Chain (endless circulation member) 2 Horizontal bar (ice cube support) 3 Discharge guide 3a Exit guide 4 Ice cube 10 Ice vertical transport device L Drainage gap A Horizontal transport unit B Vertical transport unit C Discharge unit

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An ice vertical transporting device for transporting ice cubes to an upper discharging part via a vertical transporting part by an endless transporting member having a plurality of ice cube supporting parts, and guiding the ice cubes to a discharging port of the discharging part. And a discharge guide that defines the discharge port, and a draining gap is formed between the discharge guide and the discharge guide structure.