Automatic Ice Making Machine

• US 20120000226A1
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Published: 01/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hoshizaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Hoshizaki Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Hiroki, Wakatsuki, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 9,146,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/157
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 1/12 by freezing water on cooled surfaces, e.g. to form slabs
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2400/14 Water supply
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2600/04 Control means
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/04 Level of water
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/14 Temperature of water
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/10 Sensors measuring the temperature of the evaporator

Abstract

An automatic ice making machine is provided that is capable of modifying an amount of feeding water depending on a temperature of makeup water. The automatic ice making machine is equipped with a deicing timer 42 to keep time of a deicing completion time period T₁ in which deicing operation is completed. In addition, in a control means 24, a deicing water longest supply time period U₁ is preset, which is a longest time period to supply deicing water in deicing operation. In a case where the deicing water is low in temperature, so that the deicing progresses slowly and thus the deicing completion time period T₁ becomes equal to or greater than the deicing water longest supply time period U₁, the control means 24 carries out water feeding in a feeding amount of water at low temperature at the time of water feeding. In contrast, in a case where deicing water is high in temperature, so that the deicing is promoted and thus the deicing completion time period T₁ becomes shorter than the deicing water longest supply time period U₁, the control means 24 carries out water feeding in a feeding amount of water at high temperature, which is more than the feeding amount of water at low temperature, at the time of water feeding.

Claims

1. An automatic ice making machine, having an ice making unit (16) to which ice making water is supplied while being cooled by an evaporator (14) in ice making operation to produce ice and to which deicing water is supplied from an external water source while being heated by the evaporator (14) in deicing operation to separate the ice, and an ice making water tank (18) which is capable of storing ice making water to be supplied to the ice making unit (16) in ice making operation and in which ice making water having flown down the ice making unit (16) is collected, the automatic ice making machine comprising:

a deicing timer (42) keeping time of a deicing completion time period (T₁) required from the start of deicing operation until separation of ice produced in the ice making unit (16) in ice making operation;

a control means (24, 46) having a preset deicing base elapsed time period (U₁, U₂, U₃) and comparing/determining the deicing completion time period (T₁) kept by the deicing timer (42) and the deicing base elapsed time period (U₁, U₂, U₃); and

a water feeding means (40) being controlled, in ice making operation, to additionally supply makeup water in a feeding amount of water at low temperature from the external water source to the ice making water tank (18) in which an amount of water storage is reduced by the control means (24, 46) having determined that the deicing completion time period (T₁) kept by the deicing timer (42) in deicing operation immediately before the ice making operation is equal to or greater than the deicing base elapsed time period (U₁, U₂, U₃), and being controlled to additionally supply the makeup water in a feeding amount of water at high temperature, which is more than the feeding amount of water at low temperature, to the ice making water tank (18) in which the amount of water storage is reduced by the control means (24, 46) having determined that the deicing completion time period (T₁) is shorter than the deicing base elapsed time period (U₁, U₂, U₃).

2. The automatic ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein a deicing water longest supply time period (U₁) required from the start of deicing operation with deicing water at a predetermined base temperature until separation of ice produced in the ice making unit (16) is set in the control means (24) as the deicing base elapsed time period.

3. The automatic ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the deicing water supplied to the ice making unit (16) in deicing operation is collected into the ice making water tank (18), and a minimum deicing time period (U₂) required from the start of deicing operation until storage of deicing water in a predetermined amount in the ice making water tank (18) is set in the control means (24) as the deicing base elapsed time period.

4. The automatic ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein the ice making water tank (18) has a float switch (22) that is capable of detecting a lower water level of ice making water and an upper water level of ice making water, which is above the lower water level, set in the ice making water tank (18),

the control means (24, 46) has a delay timer (44) keeping time of a first delay time period or a second delay time period, and

the control means (24, 46)

controls the water feeding means (40), when additionally supplying makeup water in the feeding amount of water at low temperature, to start supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and to stop supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the upper water level and

controls the water feeding means (40), when additionally supplying makeup water in the feeding amount of water at high temperature, to start supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and to stop supply of makeup water after the float switch (22) detects the upper water level and then the delay timer (44) keeps time of the first delay time period, or controls the water feeding means (40) to start supply of makeup water after the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and then the delay timer (44) keeps time of the second delay time period and to stop supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the upper water level.

5. The automatic ice making machine according to claim 4, wherein the control means (46) has a delay time calculation unit (50) that modifies the first delay time period or the second delay time period in accordance with the deicing completion time period (T₁).

6. An automatic ice making machine, having an ice making unit (16) to which ice making water is supplied while being cooled by an evaporator (14) in ice making operation to produce ice, and an ice making water tank (18) which is capable of storing ice making water to be supplied to the ice making unit (16) in ice making operation, in which ice making water having flown down the ice making unit (16) is collected, and to which ice making water is supplied from an external water source before ice making operation is started, the automatic ice making machine comprising:

an ice making timer (54) keeping time of a reference temperature reaching time period (T₂) required from the start of ice making operation until a temperature on an exit side of the ice making unit (16) in the evaporator (14) is cooled to a preset reference temperature;

a control means (56) having a preset ice making base elapsed time period (U₄) required from the start of ice making operation in a state where ice making water at a predetermined base temperature is stored in the ice making water tank (18) until the temperature on the exit side of the ice making unit (16) in the evaporator (14) is cooled to the reference temperature, and comparing/determining the reference temperature reaching time period (T₂) kept by the ice making timer (54) and the ice making base elapsed time period (U₄); and

a water feeding means (40) being controlled, in ice making operation, to additionally supply makeup water in a feeding amount of water at low temperature from the external water source to the ice making water tank (18) in which an amount of water storage is reduced by the control means (56) having determined that the reference temperature reaching time period (T₂) kept by the ice making timer (54) in the ice making operation is equal to or less than the ice making base elapsed time period (U₄), and being controlled to additionally supply the makeup water in a feeding amount of water at high temperature, which is more than the feeding amount of water at low temperature, to the ice making water tank (18) in which an amount of water storage is reduced by the control means (56) having determined that the reference temperature reaching time period (T₂) is longer than the ice making base elapsed time period (U₄).

7. The automatic ice making machine according to claim 6, wherein the ice making water tank (18) has a float switch (22) that is capable of detecting a lower water level of ice making water and an upper water level of ice making water, which is above the lower water level, set in the ice making water tank (18),

the control means (56) has a delay timer (44) keeping time of a first delay time period or a second delay time period, and

the control means (56)

controls the water feeding means (40), when additionally supplying makeup water in the feeding amount of water at low temperature, to start supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and to stop supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the upper water level and

controls the water feeding means (40), when additionally supplying makeup water in the feeding amount of water at high temperature, to start supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and to stop supply of makeup water after the float switch (22) detects the upper water level and then the delay timer (44) keeps time of the first delay time period, or controls the water feeding means (40) to start supply of makeup water after the float switch (22) detects the lower water level and then the delay timer (44) keeps time of the second delay time period and to stop supply of makeup water when the float switch (22) detects the upper water level.

8. The automatic ice making machine according to claim 7, wherein the control means (56) has a delay time calculation unit (58) that modifies the first delay time period or the second delay time period in accordance with the reference temperature reaching time period (T₂).