JPH0250385B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the control of an ice-making machine, and more particularly to a control device for the supply time of ice-making water.

Conventional configuration and its problems In conventional automatic ice makers, water is supplied to a water storage tank before making ice for the first time, and the upper limit setting switch in this tank detects the upper limit, that is, a predetermined high water level in the tank, and then starts the timer. While the timer was operating, water was continued to be supplied, and an overflow operation was performed to discharge water added above the upper limit water level in the tank to the outside of the tank, and then ice was made. Furthermore, when ice making is completed, water is supplied simultaneously with dehydration, and an overflow operation is performed in the same manner. This is for the purpose of draining dirty water at the end of ice making through an overflow operation and making the ice making water clean. However, since the overflow operation dilutes and drains the dirty water at the end of ice making, a short overflow operation often does not sufficiently clean the water. Furthermore, if the overflow time is increased, the amount of water supplied increases, which is inconvenient from the viewpoint of water conservation.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a control device that makes ice-making water sufficiently clean and also contributes to water conservation.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve this object, a counter is used to count the number of times an ice maker makes ice, and when the number of times ice is made becomes the same as a preset value, an upper limit setting switch detects the upper limit water level and an overflow occurs. The purpose is to increase the amount of water discharged only at this arbitrary time, to make the ice-making water in the water storage tank cleaner, and to save water overall.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the ice making machine of the present invention. 1 is the ice making machine body formed of a heat insulating wall, and is composed of an ice making compartment 2 and a machine compartment 3. An ice-making member 5 equipped with an evaporator 4 is installed at an angle, and a water storage tank 6 for storing ice-making water and a circulating water pump device 7 are installed in this tank 6 to form a flowing water circulation system. A water storage chamber 8 and an ice sheet cutting heater device 9 for receiving dehydrated ice sheets and cutting them into blocks of ice of a predetermined size are provided below the ice making member 5. Further, in the machine room 3, an electric compressor 10 and a condenser 11, which together with the evaporator 4 form a refrigeration circuit, are arranged. 12 is an air cooling fan for the condenser 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes an ice storage amount detecting device having a temperature sensing portion for detecting a predetermined amount of ice storage in the water storage chamber 8, and is provided so as to sense the contact temperature of ice cubes and stop all ice making operations.

A water supply valve 14 electrically opens and closes a water supply pipe 15 connected to a water source to introduce ice-making water into the water storage tank 6. Inside the water storage tank 6, a drain pipe 16 for maintaining a predetermined water level, and an upper limit setting switch 18 and a lower limit setting switch 19 for detecting the water level 17 are arranged.

20, when deicing the ice generated in the ice making member 5,
This is a solenoid valve that electrically controls hot gas flowing into the evaporator 4 from the electric compressor 10.

21 is attached to the ice making member 5 to form the ice making member 5.
This is a deicing detection device that detects the completion of deicing based on a predetermined temperature rise.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device for the ice making machine. 22 is a signal from the upper limit setting switch 18, and outputs an ON signal when the ice making water in the water storage tank 6 reaches the upper limit water level. Reference numeral 23 outputs an ON signal when the ice making water in the water storage tank 6 reaches the lower limit water level based on the signal from the lower limit setting switch 19. 24 is a signal from the ice removal detection device 13, which indicates when ice removal is detected.
Gives an ON signal.

25 is a control circuit, a microcomputer
It is composed of a CPU 26, a ROM 27, a RAM 28, a timer 29 that can vary the operating time, a counter 30 that counts the number of times ice is made, and the like. Said ROM
27 stores a program that determines the next time based on the order of time confirmation and the state at that time. Further, the RAM 28 is used to store information about what kind of operation is currently being performed. 31,
Relays 32, 33, and 34 are operated by outputs O1, O2, O3, and O4 from the control circuit 25. Among each relay 31 to 34, relay 3
1 is the circulating water pump device 7 and the electric compressor 1
0, connected to the air cooling fan motor 12, the relay 32 is connected to the water supply valve 14, and the relay 33 is connected to the solenoid valve 20.
In addition, the relay 34 is connected to the heater device 9 for cutting ice sheets.

The timer 29 starts its timer operation after water supply is started and the upper limit setting switch 18 is turned on, that is, in response to the signal 22. While this timer operation continues, output is output from the output O2 and the relay 32 is activated. is turned ON and the water supply valve 14 is kept open to continue supplying water. Furthermore, when this timer time expires, the output O2 from the control circuit 25 is no longer output, the relay 32 is turned off, and the water supply valve 14 is closed.

The counter 30 is connected to the lower limit setting switch 1
9 is turned on, and the timer time of the timer 29 is varied based on this count.

That is, as a result of the water supply valve 14 being open while the timer 29 is operating, water continues to be supplied to the ice making tank 6, and during this time the drain pipe 1 for overflow is
6, an overflow operation is performed. The overflow time of this timer 29 is normally set to, for example, 30 seconds.

On the other hand, the counter 30 is set to the lower limit setting switch 19.
When the number of times it is turned on, that is, the number of times ice is made reaches, for example, 10, the timer time of timer 29 is changed to, for example, 3 minutes. The ice making water in the tank 6 is cleaned by increasing the amount of water drained for 3 minutes and by increasing the amount of water drained.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG.

First, we will explain what happens when the power is turned on and when ice is made for the first time. To start ice making, press upper limit setting switch 1.
8 is ON or not (a). If the upper limit setting switch 18 is not ON, open the water supply valve 14 to start water supply (b). Upper limit setting switch 18
Repeat this operation until it turns ON. Then, when the upper limit setting switch 18 is turned on, the number of ice making times is compared with the set number of times (c). The number of times this is set is 10 times here, but it can be set to any number of times depending on the water quality. At first, since the set number of times and the number of times of ice making are different, the timer 29 is turned on (d), and then it is determined whether the timer time has ended (e). Then, when the timer time ends, the water supply ends (f). Next, it is detected whether deicing has been completed (g). At first, there is no ice on the ice making member 5, so the ice removal detection device 21 is turned on.
Therefore, relay 31 should be turned on to start ice making.
Turn on. At the same time, in order to stop deicing, the relay 33 is turned off and the solenoid valve 20 is turned off. In addition, if the ice removal has not been completed, the system waits until the ice removal is completed in (g). Next, the lower limit setting switch 19
Determine whether it is turned on (Re). This means that ice making water from the upper limit water level to the lower limit water level has been made when the lower limit setting switch 19 is turned on, and thus serves as an ice making end signal. When the lower limit setting switch 19 is turned on, the number of ice making operations is stored in the counter 30 (nu), and the lower limit setting switch 19 is turned on.
If it does not turn on, press (l) to set the lower limit setting switch 19.
Wait until it turns on. Next, lower limit setting switch 1
9 is turned ON, ice making is finished, relay 33 is turned on, and solenoid valve 20 is turned on to start deicing (ru). Then return to (a) and repeat the above operation.

Next, a case where the number of times of ice making reaches the set value will be explained. When it is remembered that ice has been made 10 times in (nu), ice removal starts in (l). next
In (a), it is determined whether the upper limit setting switch 18 is turned on, and if the upper limit setting switch 18 is not turned on, the process proceeds to (b) and water supply is started. Then, when the upper limit setting switch 18 is turned on, the process proceeds to (c), where it is determined whether the number of ice making times is the same as the memorized setting value (10 times), and if they are the same, the setting value of the timer 29 is lengthened ( wo), reset the number of times of ice making (wa), determine whether the timer has expired (e), and wait at (e) until the timer time ends. Then, when the timer time expires, the water supply ends (f), and when the end of deicing is detected, ice making starts (ch). Next, lower limit switch 19 is turned on
If you do this, the number of times you make ice will be memorized (nu). At this time (wa)
Since the number of times ice is made has been reset, the count starts from 1.

In this way, only when the number of times ice is made is the 10th, timer 2 is activated.
9 is lengthened to increase the amount of water drained due to overflow.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, the ice maker control device of the present invention is equipped with a timer that can vary the operating time and a counter that counts the number of times ice is made, so that the number of times ice is made remains the same as a predetermined set value. The overflow time of the water supply to the ice making tank is increased only when the ice is made, and the ice making water that is not sufficiently cleaned by the overflow operation each time ice is made can be sufficiently cleaned after a predetermined number of times of ice making. . Furthermore, if the overflow time is increased each time to clean the ice-making water, the amount of water supplied will increase, but in this case, the overflow time is only increased for a predetermined number of times of ice-making, which contributes to water conservation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an ice maker employing an embodiment of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the same control device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the control device. 5... Ice making member, 6... Water storage tank, 7... Circulating water pump, 14... Water supply valve, 18... Upper limit setting switch, 19... Lower limit setting switch, 29...
Timer, 30...counter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ice-making member that generates sheet ice, a circulating water pump that circulates ice-making water to this ice-making member, a water storage tank that stores ice-making water, and an upper limit that detects the upper and lower limit water levels of ice-making water in the water storage tank. A setting switch, a lower limit setting switch, a timer that operates after the upper limit setting switch detects the upper limit water level of the ice making water and whose operating time can be varied, and a water supply valve that controls the number of times of ice making while the timer is operating. and a counter for counting, and when the counter reaches a certain number of times, the operation time of the timer is lengthened to make the water supply time longer than the normal water supply time.