Ice making machine

Abstract

To provide an ice making machine which can prevent damage of a chemical agent supply member and an ice making water supply part even if a user forgets to remove the chemical agent supply member.SOLUTION: An ice making water supply part 12 is supported so as to be tiltable in a vertical direction within a box body 10. A front panel 20 which covers the ice making water supply part 12 from the front side is disposed at an ice outlet 10b of the box body 10. An insertion hole member formed with an insertion hole which is open in an inside-outside direction is disposed on the front panel 20. A receiving member 25 is attached to a front wall of an ice making water tank 17 of the ice making water supply part 12. In a supply member 34 in which an insertion part is inserted into the insertion hole, a chemical agent inlet 36b is located outside the box body and a chemical agent outlet is located inside the box body. The insertion part places the outlet at a position, where the chemical agent may be discharged to the receiving member 25 of the ice making water supply part 12 in a closed position, and is in a position where the insertion part is not in contact with the ice making water supply part 12 when the ice making water supply part 12 moves to an open position at the lower side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker that circulates ice-making water stored in an ice-making water tank between the ice-making water tank and an ice making section to produce ice in the ice making section. [Background technology]

[0002] Jet-type ice makers, which spray ice-making water from below into multiple downward-opening ice-making chambers to produce ice blocks in the chambers, are popular in coffee shops, restaurants, and other establishments. The ice maker's general configuration is as follows: A horizontally arranged ice-making section within a cabinet contains multiple downward-opening ice-making chambers arranged in a grid pattern, and an evaporator, which constitutes a refrigeration mechanism, is closely spaced on top of the ice-making section in a serpentine pattern. A water tray supplies ice-making water to the ice-making chambers, and an ice-making water tank stores ice-making water supplied from an external water source. In this ice maker, a circulation pump supplies ice-making water stored in the ice-making water tank to the ice-making section, which is cooled by the refrigeration mechanism, to produce ice in the ice-making section. Unfrozen ice in the ice-making section is then collected and recirculated back into the ice-making water tank.

[0003] In ice makers that circulate ice-making water between the ice-making water tank and the ice making unit, impurities such as chlorine and minerals contained in the tap water used as ice-making water can accumulate over time as scale in the ice-making water circulation path, causing various problems. Chemical cleaning requires supplying a solid or liquid chemical into the ice-making water tank. Because the ice-making water supply unit tilts vertically during the ice-making cycle, which involves repeated ice-making and de-icing operations, a front panel is screwed to the main body, which opens forward in the box body of the ice maker, to prevent access to the ice-making water supply unit from the outside. Therefore, when chemical cleaning is performed on an ice maker, the front panel is removed from the main body, and chemicals are supplied into the ice-making water tank via a supply member such as a hose through the gap between the water tray and the ice-making water tank or from the top of the water tray. The chemical solution, in which the chemicals are dissolved in the water in the tank, is then circulated through the circulation path by a circulation pump. However, removing and attaching the front panel from the main body requires tools such as a screwdriver, making the process of attaching and detaching the front panel for chemical cleaning cumbersome. Even with the front panel removed, it is difficult to position a supply member in the gap between the water tray and the ice-making water tank or on the top of the water tray from outside the ice maker, reducing the ease of use when supplying chemicals. To address this issue, an ice maker has been proposed that provides an insertion hole that opens in the front-to-rear direction in the front panel, and a supply member inserted from the front into the insertion hole has its rear end opening facing the tank, allowing chemicals to be supplied to the ice-making water tank via the supply member, thereby enabling chemical cleaning without removing the front panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-147177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the ice maker disclosed in Patent Document 1, if a cleaning operation is started after a supply member inserted into an insertion hole is used to supply chemicals to the ice-making water tank, and the supply member is forgotten to be removed from the insertion hole, the ice-making water supply section, which tilts when discharging cleaning water, etc. from the ice-making water tank, may come into contact with the supply member, potentially damaging the supply member or the ice-making water supply section.

[0006] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems inherent in the conventional technology, and aims to provide an ice maker that can prevent damage to the supply member and ice-making water supply unit even if the chemical supply member is forgotten to be removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to overcome the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means is: In an ice making machine, an ice making water supply unit is provided below an ice making unit defining an ice making chamber that opens downward, the ice making water supply unit having a water tray that can close the ice making chamber and an ice making water tank that can store ice making water, and the ice making water supply unit is arranged so as to be movable up and down between a closed position where the ice making chamber is closed with the water tray and an open position, a supply member that can be inserted into and removed from the outside of the box into an insertion hole that can open inward and outward directions of the box in which the ice making unit and the ice making water supply unit are housed, and that can discharge the chemicals supplied to the inlet facing the outside of the box from an outlet facing the inside of the box; a receiving member provided in the ice-making water tank and guiding the chemicals discharged from the outlet of the supply member to the ice-making water tank; the supply member inserted into the insertion hole is positioned such that an end of the insertion side is located between an end of the receiving opening of the receiving member on the ice making water tank side and an end of the receiving opening on the insertion hole side; The gist of the invention is that when the ice-making water supply unit is in the closed position, the receiving member receives the chemicals released from the outlet of the supply member that has been inserted into the insertion hole and positioned, and when the ice-making water supply unit is moved to the open position, the ice-making water supply unit and the receiving member do not come into contact with the positioned supply member. With this configuration, the supply member inserted into the insertion hole does not come into contact with the ice-making water supply unit or receiving member as they move from the closed position to the open position, so even if the cleaning operation is started without removing the supply member from the insertion hole, damage to the supply member, ice-making water supply unit, and receiving member can be prevented.

[0008] The second means is such that the receiving member has a receiving portion where the receiving port opens upward when the ice making water supply unit is in a closed position, The gist of the present invention is that an end portion of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole on the insertion side is configured to face the interior through a receiving opening of the receiving portion. According to this configuration, the receiving member provided in the ice-making water tank has a receiving portion with a receiving port that opens upward, so that it can easily receive the chemicals discharged from the outlet of the supply member.

[0009] The third means is such that the receiving portion of the receiving member extends toward the insertion hole by a predetermined length, The gist of this invention is that even when a receiving member is provided in the ice-making water tank of various ice makers having different distances and / or heights between the insertion hole and the ice-making water tank, the receiving part is configured to be able to receive the chemical agent released from the outlet of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole. With this configuration, in ice-making machines of different models in which the separation distance or height between the insertion hole and the ice-making water tank is different, even if the separation distance or height between the outlet of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole and the ice-making water tank is different, the chemical agent released from the supply member outlet can be received in the receiving portion and guided to the ice-making water tank. In other words, common supply members and receiving members can be used in ice-making machines of different models in which the separation distance or height between the insertion hole and the ice-making water tank is different, eliminating the need to manufacture dedicated supply members and receiving members for each model, thereby reducing costs.

[0010] The fourth means is characterized in that a discharge means is provided below the portion of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole that faces the inside of the box, for receiving the medicine that falls from the supply member and discharging it to the outside. According to this configuration, when the supply member is removed from the insertion hole, the discharge means can discharge the medicine that falls from the supply member to the outside, thereby preventing ice blocks, etc. from being contaminated by the medicine.

[0011] The fifth means is an insertion hole member disposed in the box body and having the insertion hole formed therein; a cover member attached to the insertion hole member and displaceable between a position that closes the insertion hole from the outside and an open position that opens the insertion hole to the outside, The cover member is attached to the insertion hole member by a fall-off prevention means so that the cover member does not fall off from the insertion hole member when in the closed position or the open position. According to this configuration, when the insertion hole is not in use, the insertion hole can be covered with the lid member to prevent dust and the like from entering the box through the insertion hole and to prevent cool air from leaking through the insertion hole. Furthermore, since the lid member is attached to the insertion hole member with a fall-prevention means, the lid member that opens the insertion hole when inserting the supply member into the insertion hole will not fall off from the insertion hole member, and loss of the lid member can be prevented.

[0012] The sixth means is that the box body has a door for opening and closing the ice outlet provided on one side, The gist of the invention is that the insertion hole is provided at a position that defines the ice outlet and is covered by the door in a front panel that supports the door when closed. With this configuration, the front panel that supports the closed door is strong enough to stably hold the supply member inserted into the insertion hole. In addition, since the insertion hole is covered by the door, the design of the exterior is not compromised, and the door also effectively prevents dust from entering through the insertion hole.

[0013] The seventh means is that the insertion hole has an insertion opening that opens outward from the box body and is formed in an oval shape having a flat portion, The gist of the supply member is that the insertion portion that can be inserted into the insertion hole is formed with an oval cross-sectional shape that can fit into the insertion opening, and by fitting the insertion portion into the insertion opening, circumferential displacement of the supply member is restricted. With this configuration, the circumferential displacement of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole can be regulated, so the orientation of the inlet and outlet of the supply member does not change, and the drug can be smoothly introduced into the supply member and released from the supply member to the receiving member.

[0014] An eighth aspect of the present invention is that the supply member is provided with a restricting portion that abuts against the top surface of the box body and restricts circumferential displacement when the supply member is inserted into the insertion hole. With this configuration, the circumferential displacement of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole can be regulated, so the orientation of the inlet and outlet of the supply member does not change, and the drug can be smoothly introduced into the supply member and released from the supply member to the receiving member.

[0015] The ninth means is a control means for executing the cleaning operation based on the operation of the cleaning operation starting means; a detection means for detecting the supply member inserted into the insertion hole, The control means is configured not to execute the cleaning operation even if the cleaning operation start means is operated when there is no detection information of the supply member from the detection means. According to this configuration, if there is no detection information that a supply member has been inserted into the insertion hole, the cleaning operation will not be performed even if the cleaning operation start means is operated, thereby preventing the cleaning operation from being performed when no chemicals have been supplied to the ice-making water tank, and preventing unnecessary cleaning operations from being performed without chemicals.

[0016] a tenth means including a notification means controlled by the control means; The gist of the present invention is that when the cleaning operation start means is operated while the detection means is detecting the supply member, the control means is configured to control the notification means to notify that the supply member has been inserted into the insertion hole. With this configuration, since it is possible to notify that the supply member is inserted into the insertion hole, it is possible to prevent the flushing operation from being performed with the supply member still inserted in the insertion hole. In other words, even if there is a situation in which the supply member and the ice-making water supply unit may come into contact due to an error in the formation position of the insertion hole or the attachment position of the receiving member to the ice-making water tank, it is possible to prevent damage to the supply member, the ice-making water supply unit, etc. by urging the user to remove the supply member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the ice making machine of the present invention, even if the chemical supply member is forgotten to be removed, damage to the supply member, the ice making water supply unit, etc. can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a longitudinal section of a main part of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a main part of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of an ice making mechanism according to an embodiment, showing an ice making water supply unit in a closed position. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main part of an ice making mechanism according to an embodiment, showing an ice making water supply unit in an open position. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an insertion hole member disposed in the front panel. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic perspective view of an insertion hole member disposed in the front panel, as viewed from the back side. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a main part of an ice making machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a supply member is removed. [Figure 9] 10 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a main portion showing a state in which an insertion hole of the insertion hole member is covered with a cover member. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a supply member is inserted into an insertion hole. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the main part of an ice maker of a model having a different separation distance between the insertion hole and the ice making water tank. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Next, a preferred embodiment of the ice making machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, the ice making machine will be described as a jet-type ice making machine equipped with a so-called closed-cell type ice making mechanism. [Example]

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the ice maker of this embodiment has ice storage chamber 10a defined inside box 10, and ice-making mechanism 13, consisting of ice-making unit 11 and ice-making water supply unit 12 that circulates and supplies ice-making water to ice-making unit 11, is disposed above the interior of ice storage chamber 10a. Specifically, ice-making unit 11, which defines multiple ice-making chambers (ice-making chambers) 11a that open downward (to one side), is fixedly supported below mounting member 14, which is horizontally disposed on the top of box 10. Evaporator 15, which constitutes the refrigeration mechanism, is disposed in a serpentine pattern in close contact with the top surface of ice-making unit 11, and is configured to circulate refrigerant to forcibly cool ice-making unit 11 (ice-making chambers 11a) during ice-making operation and to circulate high-temperature refrigerant (hot gas) to heat ice-making unit 11 (ice-making chambers 11a) during de-icing operation. Additionally, below ice-making unit 11, ice-making water supply unit 12, which includes water tray 16 capable of closing ice-making compartment 11a and ice-making water tank 17 for storing ice-making water, is disposed so as to be tiltable up and down. One side of box 10 is provided with ice outlet 10b for removing ice blocks (ice) from ice storage compartment 10a, and door 18 for opening and closing ice outlet 10b. Box 10 is also provided with top plate 19 for closing the top opening, and top plate 19 has extension 19a that extends above door 18, which closes ice outlet 10b. In the following description, the side with door 18 is defined as the front, and the front-rear direction is referred to as the front, and the left-right direction is referred to as the left-right direction when the ice maker is viewed from the front in FIG. 1.

[0021] 1 to 3 and 8, box 10 is provided with front panel 20 that covers ice-making mechanism 13 from the front side and prevents access to ice-making mechanism 13 from the front side. Front panel 20 includes support portion 20a that is positioned vertically above ice outlet 10b and abuts against and supports the upper end of door 18 that closes ice outlet 10b, and cover portion 20b that extends diagonally downward and inward from the lower end of support portion 20a, and support portion 20a and cover portion 20b cover ice-making mechanism 13 over the entire length in the left-right direction above ice outlet 10b.

[0022] 4 and 5, the ice-making water supply unit 12 is rotatably supported by a support shaft extending in the front-to-rear direction relative to a support member 14a provided at a position offset to the left of the mounting member 14. The water tray 16 is provided with spray holes at positions corresponding to each ice-making chamber 11a for spraying the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 17 into each ice-making chamber 11a of the ice-making unit 11, and return holes for returning the ice-making water (unfrozen water) supplied to the ice-making unit 11 but not frozen to the ice-making water tank 17.

[0023] A water supply pipe connected to an external water source (not shown) is provided above water tray 16, and by opening a water supply valve provided on the water supply pipe, room temperature water is supplied from the water supply pipe to the surface of water tray 16. The water supplied to the surface of the water tray is stored in ice-making water tank 17 via the return holes and other holes provided in water tray 16 and used as ice-making water. Ice-making water tank 17 is provided with a circulation pump 21 that supplies the ice-making water stored in ice-making water tank 17 to water tray 16. The ice-making water supplied to water tray 16 by circulation pump 21 is sprayed from the spray holes provided in water tray 16 into each ice-making chamber 11a of ice-making section 11. The ice-making water that does not freeze in ice-making section 11 is collected in ice-making water tank 17 via the return holes and circulated again. In this embodiment, ice-making water tank 17, ice-making unit 11, water tray 16, and a pipe (not shown) connecting ice-making water tank 17 and water tray 16 via circulation pump 21 and through which ice-making water flows form a circulation path for circulating ice-making water between ice-making water tank 17 and ice-making unit 11. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a drain pan 22 is disposed below ice-making mechanism 13 to receive wastewater (residual water from ice making, overflow water, condensation water, etc.) flowing down from ice-making mechanism 13, and the wastewater received in drain pan 22 is discharged outside the machine. The lower end of cover portion 20b of front panel 20 is connected to the front end of drain pan 22, so that condensation water generated on the rear surface of cover portion 20b can be discharged outside the machine via drain pan 22.

[0024] 4 and 5, ice-making mechanism 13 is provided with a tilting mechanism 23 on the opposite side (right side) from the pivot side of ice-making water supply unit 12 for opening and closing (tilting) ice-making water supply unit 12 relative to ice-making unit 11. In ice-making operation, ice-making mechanism 13 holds ice-making water supply unit 12 in a closed position (see FIG. 4) by tilting mechanism 23, in which water tray 16 covers the bottom of each ice-making chamber 11a of ice-making unit 11, and ice-making water stored in ice-making water tank 17 is sprayed by circulation pump 21 from water tray 16 to each ice-making chamber 11a cooled by evaporator 15, producing ice blocks (ice) in the ice-making chambers 11a. In addition, in ice-making mechanism 13, during de-icing operation, ice-making water supply section 12 is held in an open position (see Figure 5) by tilting mechanism 23, in which it is moved downward from ice-making section 11 and is in an inclined position that allows ice blocks to be released from ice-making chamber 11a, and ice blocks that have been released from ice-making chamber 11a heated by evaporator 15 are guided to the inclined upper surface of water tray 16 and dropped into ice storage chamber 10a.

[0025] 3 and 8, a supply port 17b penetrating inward and outward is formed in a front wall 17a (a portion facing the insertion hole) of the ice making water tank 17 that faces the front panel 20, and a generally U-shaped mounting portion 24 that surrounds the supply port 17b protrudes forward from the front wall 17a. A receiving member 25 is detachably attached to the mounting portion 24. The receiving member 25 includes an attachment portion 25a attached to the mounting portion 24 and a receiving portion 25b connected to the attachment portion 25a and extending forward and upward. The attachment portion 25a is cylindrical and extends vertically, and the receiving portion 25b, connected to the upper end of the attachment portion 25a, extends forward from the front wall 17a by a predetermined length. Receiving portion 25b is provided with a receiving port 25c that opens obliquely upward and forward, and by attaching attachment portion 25a to mounting portion 24, receiving port 25c opens obliquely upward and forward a predetermined length in the front-to-rear direction forward of front wall 17a and communicates with the interior of ice-making water tank 17 via supply port 17b. Receiving portion 25 is formed in a generally funnel shape that narrows in diameter from the upper end where receiving port 25c is formed toward attachment portion 25a, so that the chemicals received from receiving port 25c can be smoothly guided into the ice-making water tank through attachment portion 25a. Note that receiving port 25c of receiving member 25 attached to ice-making water tank 17 is set at a position higher than the upper end of the front wall of ice-making water tank 17 when ice-making water supply unit 12 is in the closed position, so that ice-making water can be stored in ice-making water tank 17 up to near the upper end of the front wall.

[0026] 3 and 8, an insertion hole member 26 is disposed on the support portion 20a of the front panel 20 at a position corresponding to and in front of the receiving member 25 attached to the ice-making water tank 17. The insertion hole member 26 is located below the overhanging portion 19a of the top plate 19 and rearward of the front end of the overhanging portion 19a. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the insertion hole member 26 includes a mounting portion 27 attached to the front panel 20 and a cylindrical insertion portion 28 provided on the mounting portion 27 and extending inward and outward directions of the box body 10. An insertion hole 29 defined inside the insertion portion 28 opens to the inside and outside of the box body 10, and is configured so that an insertion portion 35 of a supply member 34 (described later) can be inserted into the insertion hole 29 in a removably manner from the outside of the box body. A through hole penetrating inward and outward directions is formed in the support portion 20a of the front panel 20 corresponding to the attachment position of the insertion hole member 26, and the insertion hole member 26 is attached to the support portion 20a from the rear side so as to close the through hole, and a rear portion 28a of the insertion portion 28 extending to the rear side (inside the box body) extends a predetermined length into the box body 10. Note that by attaching the insertion hole member 26 to the rear side of the support portion 20a, the insertion hole member 26 does not protrude from the front side of the support portion 20a, and is configured so that the insertion hole member 26 does not interfere with the support of the upper end of the door 18 by the support portion 20a. Furthermore, the attachment portion 27 is formed so that its center portion is recessed toward the inside of the box body, and the insertion portion 28 is provided in the recess 27a, and the insertion hole 29 of the insertion portion 28 opens at the front end of the recess 27a. A pivot hole 27b penetrating in the front-to-rear direction is formed in the upper left corner of the mounting portion 27, and a lid member 30 is rotatably supported by the pivot hole 27b, so that the front side of the recess 27a (an insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29, which will be described later) can be opened and closed by the lid member 30 (see FIG. 9). In other words, the insertion hole 29 of the insertion portion 28 can be opened to the outside of the box body 10 by opening the lid member 30.

[0027] The insertion hole 29 of the insertion portion 28 has an oval cross section having a flat portion 29a. As shown in FIG. 6 , the insertion hole 29 of the embodiment has a generally oval shape, including a pair of flat portions 29a, 29a facing each other in the left-right direction and arc-shaped portions 29b, 29b facing each other in the up-down direction. The oval cross section of the insertion hole 29 restricts the circumferential displacement (rotation) of the supply member 34 inserted into the insertion hole 29. While the insertion hole 29 has an oval cross section over its entire length in the embodiment, it is sufficient that any position from the front end to the rear end of the insertion hole 29 has an oval cross section. For example, the insertion opening 31, which opens at the front end of the recess 27a in the insertion hole 29, has an oval shape, and the remaining portions may have a circular shape.

[0028] 8, rear portion 28a of insertion portion 28 of insertion hole member 26 is configured to face above cover portion 20b of front panel 20, and is configured to guide the medicine that has fallen from outlet 35b (described later) of supply member 34 or that has fallen along insertion portion 28 to drain pan 22 via cover portion 20b and to discharge it from drain pan 22 to the outside of the machine when, for example, supply member 34 is removed from insertion hole 29. In this embodiment, cover portion 20b and drain pan 22 form discharge means 32 that receives the medicine that has fallen from supply member 34 and discharges it to the outside.

[0029] 9 to 11, the cover member 30 is provided on a plate-shaped main body 30a and includes a fitting portion 30b that can be fitted from the front into a recess 27a in the insertion hole member 26, and a support shaft 30c that extends a predetermined length from the main body 30a toward the rear and can be inserted into and removed from the shaft support hole 27b from the front. With the support shaft 30c inserted into the shaft support hole 27b from the front, the cover member 30 is configured to be displaceable between a closing position (FIG. 9) in which the fitting portion 30b fits into the recess 27a to close the insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29 from the front (outside), and an open position (FIG. 12) in which the fitting portion 30b is retracted laterally from the front of the insertion opening 31. The cover member 30 is configured such that at least the fitting portion 30b is made of rubber or a soft synthetic resin, and fitting the fitting portion 30b into the recess 27a seals the insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29, thereby effectively preventing cool air from leaking through the insertion opening 31 and foreign matter from entering from the outside. The support shaft 30c is provided with a restricting portion 30d that protrudes radially from one circumferential position on the extended end, and the attachment portion 27 of the insertion hole member 26 is formed with an allowable hole portion 27c that communicates with the shaft support hole 27b and extends radially, into which the restricting portion 30d is insertable and removable from the front side (see FIG. 6). That is, the support shaft 30c can be inserted and removed from the shaft support hole 27b when the restricting portion 30d is aligned with the allowable hole portion 27c in the front-rear direction, but insertion and removal of the support shaft 30c from the shaft support hole 27b is restricted when the restricting portion 30d is not aligned with the allowable hole portion 27c in the front-rear direction. The lid member 30 is configured such that the restricting portion 30d and the allowable hole portion 27c are not aligned in the front-to-rear direction when oriented in the closed position and the open position, and is configured so that the lid member 30 does not fall off from the insertion hole member 26 when in the closed position or the open position. In the embodiment, the support shaft 30c, the restricting portion 30d, the shaft support hole 27b, the allowable hole portion 27c, and the rear surface of the mounting portion 27 form a fall-off prevention means 33 that attaches the lid member 30 to the insertion hole member 26 in a state where it is prevented from falling off.

[0030] The position of the regulating portion 30d in the front-to-rear direction (axial direction) relative to the support shaft 30c of the cover member 30 is set to a position where the rear surface of the mounting portion 27 does not restrict the front-to-rear movement between the blocking position where the fitting portion 30b is fitted into the recess 27a of the insertion hole member 26 and the position where the fitting portion 30b is removed forward from the recess 27a. The lid member 30 of the embodiment is configured so that, when the lid member 30 is in the blocking position and the fitting portion 30b is removed forward from the recess 27a, it can be rotated a predetermined angle (approximately 90° in this embodiment) to open the front side of the recess 27a (insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29) and allow the supply member 34 to be inserted into the insertion hole 29. The lid member 30 is provided with a hook portion 30e for hooking the operator's finger by recessing part of the main body 30a at the rear, so that with the fitting portion 30b fitted into the recess 27a, the operator can hook the finger into the hook portion 30e and easily remove the fitting portion 30b forward from the recess 27a.

[0031] As shown in Figure 8, the insertion hole member 26 is attached to the front panel 20 so that the insertion portion 28 is positioned above the inner bottom surface of the receiving portion 25b of the receiving member 25 (the surface that slopes downward from the front end 25d of the receiving opening 25c toward the rear), and the insertion portion 28 is formed to slope downward from the outside to the inside of the box body 10, and is configured to support the insertion portion 35 (described later) of the supply member 34 inserted into the insertion hole 29 in an attitude that slopes downward from the outer end (entrance side end) toward the inner end (exit side end) (see Figure 3).

[0032] 2 and 3, the supply member 34 that can be inserted into the insertion hole 29 includes an insertion section 35 that is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined length, and a funnel-shaped input section 36 that is connected to one longitudinal end (front end) of the insertion section 35 and opens upward, and is configured so that the insertion section 35 can be inserted into the insertion hole 29 from the front side. The supply member 34 is provided with an outlet 35b at the end of the insertion side of the insertion section 35 that faces the inside of the box body 10 (inside the box body), and the input section 36 is provided with an input port 36b that opens upward as an inlet. The insertion portion 35 has an oval-shaped outer shape in vertical cross section that can fit into the insertion hole 29. By inserting the insertion portion 35 of the supply member 34 into the insertion hole 29 from the outlet end (insertion end), circumferential displacement of the supply member 34 relative to the insertion hole member 26 is restricted, and the supply member 34 is held in an orientation with the input port 36b of the input portion 36 facing upward. The insertion portion 35 also has a large-diameter portion 35a, which is larger in diameter than the insertion port 31 of the insertion hole 29, at a position spaced a predetermined distance forward from the outlet end. The large-diameter portion 35a abuts against the front edge of the input port 31 (the front surface of the recess 27a), thereby determining the front-rear position of the supply member 34 relative to the insertion hole member 26. In this embodiment, protrusions 35d are provided on both the left and right sides of the large-diameter portion 35a, and the insertion position of the insertion portion 35 is also restricted by the protrusions 35d (see FIG. 12 ). Furthermore, a rotation prevention portion (regulating portion) 36a that protrudes rearward is provided at the insertion portion 36 of the supply member 34. This rotation prevention portion 36a is located above and adjacent to the protruding portion 19a of the top plate 19 when the insertion portion 35 of the supply member 34 is inserted into the insertion hole 29, and is configured to come into contact with the upper surface of the protruding portion 19a (the top surface of the box body 10) when the supply member 34 is displaced (rotated) in the circumferential direction, thereby restricting the circumferential displacement of the supply member 34.

[0033] Supply member 34, which is positioned by abutting large-diameter portion 35a against the front edge of insertion opening 31 (front surface of recess 27a), is positioned so that insertion-side end 35c of insertion portion 35 faces into receiving portion 25b through receiving opening 25c of receiving portion 25b of receiving member 25 attached to ice-making water tank 17, as shown in Fig. 3. Specifically, insertion-side end 35c of insertion portion 35 is set to be positioned between front end (end on the insertion hole side) 25d and rear end (end on the ice-making water tank side) 25e of receiving opening 25c, before ice-making water supply unit 12 (ice-making water tank 17), so that ice-making water supply unit 12 and receiving member 25 do not come into contact with supply member 34 when ice-making water supply unit 12 moves between the closed position and the open position. Furthermore, with the insertion end 35c of the insertion portion 35 positioned between the front end 25d and the rear end 25e of the receiving port 25c, the outlet 35b is positioned closer to the ice-making water tank than the front end 25d, so that the chemicals released from the outlet 35b are received by the receiving portion 25b. That is, the insertion end of the insertion portion 35 inserted into the insertion hole 29 passes through the receiving port 25c and enters the receiving portion 25b, and the outlet 35b communicates with the receiving portion 25b without contacting the receiving portion 25b. The outlet 35b opens downward, so that the chemicals released from the outlet 35b do not scatter outside the receiving portion 25b. Furthermore, the supply member 34 positioned relative to the insertion hole member 26 has the input portion 36 facing the outside of the box, and the input port 36b of the input portion 36 opens upward. That is, by inserting insertion portion 35 of supply member 34 into insertion hole 29 and feeding a solid or liquid medicine into inlet 36b facing the outside of box 10, the medicine passes through inlet 36 and insertion portion 35 and is released from outlet 35b, and is guided by receiving member 25 and supplied to ice-making water tank 17. The inclination angle of insertion portion 28 is set so that the inclination angle from the inlet side to the outlet side of insertion portion 35 inserted into insertion hole 29 is an angle that allows the solid medicine (tablet) fed into inlet 36b to smoothly fall from outlet 35b into receiving member 25.

[0034] Here, receiving port 25c of receiving member 25 is configured to extend forward of front wall 17a of ice-making water tank 17 by a predetermined length capable of receiving the chemical agent discharged from outlet 35b even if the front-to-back position of outlet 35b of supply member 34 with insertion portion 35 inserted into insertion hole 29 changes when receiving member 25 is attached to ice-making water tank 17 in ice-making machines of various models having different front-to-back distances between ice-making water tank 17 and front panel 20 (insertion hole 29) (see FIGS. 3 and 14). Furthermore, receiving port 25c of receiving member 25 is configured to extend forward and backward by a predetermined length capable of adequately receiving the chemical agent discharged from outlet 35b into receiving port 25c even if the vertical distance from outlet 35b of supply member 34 inserted into insertion hole 29 to receiving port 25c changes in ice-making machines of various models having different height positions between insertion hole 29 and ice-making water tank 17. That is, even if the front-to-rear distance of the chemical agent discharged from outlet 35b to receptacle 25c varies due to the different height positions of outlet 35b relative to receptacle 25c, receptacle 25c extends in the front-to-rear direction a length that can receive the chemical agent. That is, the ice making machine of the embodiment is configured so that receiving member 25 and supply member 34 can be standardized among models in which only the front-to-rear distance between insertion hole 29 and ice-making water tank 17 differs, models in which only the height position differs, or models in which the front-to-rear distance and the height position differ. Also, receiving portion 25b of receiving member 25 extends forward (toward the insertion hole) from front wall 17a by a dimension that does not contact front panel 20 or various devices disposed in the vicinity when ice-making water supply unit 12 moves between the closed position and the open position.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, a detection means 37 such as a microswitch, reed switch, or infrared switch is arranged on the rear side of the front panel 20 to detect the supply member 34 inserted into the insertion hole 29, and the detection means 37 is connected to a control means 38 (see Figure 13) that controls the operation of the ice maker.

[0036] The ice-making water supplied to the ice-making water tank 17 contains various minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Repeating an ice-making cycle consisting of ice-making and de-icing operations can cause impurities, such as scale and limescale, which are concentrated minerals, to build up in the ice-making water circulation path. Therefore, the ice-making machine of this embodiment is configured to perform a cleaning operation in which the ice-making mechanism 13 cleans the ice-making water circulation path with a chemical solution, in addition to the ice-making mode in which the ice-making cycle is repeated. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the cleaning operation is executed by operating a cleaning operation start switch 39 connected to the control means 38. In the cleaning operation, the circulation pump 21 is operated for a cleaning time, and then the circulation pump 21 is stopped. The tilting mechanism 23 is activated to tilt the ice-making water supply unit 12 to the open position, and the cleaning water in the ice-making water tank is discharged. After a predetermined time, the tilting mechanism 23 is operated to return the ice-making water supply section 12 to the closed position, and then rinsing is performed by supplying rinsing water to the ice-making water tank 17 and circulating the rinsing water in the circulation path by the circulation pump 21.

[0037] In the ice making machine of this embodiment, all controls, including ice making operation, deicing operation, and washing operation, are performed by control means 38. The ice making machine comprises ice making mechanism 13 and a refrigeration mechanism, and includes devices that output detection signals and detection information to control means 38, as well as devices controlled by control means 38. As shown in FIG. 13, control means 38 is connected to detection means 37, a washing operation start switch (washing operation start means) 39, and notification means 40. Note that FIG. 13 shows only devices related to the control of the washing operation as devices connected to control means 38. Various devices can be used as notification means 40, such as a light-emitting device equipped with a light-emitting element or lamp, a sound-generating device equipped with a speaker or sound generator, or a display device equipped with a display unit capable of displaying images or videos. The control means 38 is configured to store the fact that the detection means 37 has detected the supply member 34 as history in the memory unit 41, and when the cleaning operation start switch 39 is operated while the detection history (inspection information) is stored, to control various devices to start the cleaning operation, and to erase the detection history from the memory unit 41 when the cleaning operation is completed. Furthermore, when the cleaning operation start switch 39 is operated while the detection means 37 has detected the supply member 34, the control means 38 controls the notification means 40 to notify that the supply member 34 is inserted into the insertion hole 29, for example, by outputting a display or sound such as "The supply member remains inserted" or "Please remove the supply member."

[0038] [Operation of the Example] Next, the operation of the ice making machine according to the embodiment will be described.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3, when the insertion portion 35 of the supply member 34 is inserted from the front side into the insertion hole 29 of the insertion hole member 26 provided in the front panel 20, the outlet 35b of the supply member 34 faces the inside from the receiving port 25c of the receiving member 25 attached to the ice-making water tank 17, so that the medicine inserted into the input port 36b of the input portion 36 of the supply member 34 is supplied to the ice-making water tank 17 via the supply member 34 and the receiving member 25. That is, in the embodiment, the means for supplying chemicals to the ice-making water tank 17 is divided into a receiving member 25 attached to the ice-making water tank 17 and a supply member 34 attached to the insertion hole member 26 of the front panel 20, and the insertion portion 35 inserted into the insertion hole 29 of the supply member 34 is arranged so that the outlet 35b faces the inside of the receiving member 25 without coming into contact with the receiving member 25 or the ice-making water supply unit 12. Therefore, the supply member 34 inserted into the insertion hole 29 does not come into contact with the ice-making water supply unit 12 or the receiving member 25, which move from the closed position to the open position. Therefore, even if the cleaning operation is started without forgetting to remove the supply member 34 from the insertion hole 29, damage to the ice-making water supply unit 12, the receiving member 25 and the supply member 34 can be prevented.

[0040] Since receiving port 25c of receiving member 25 opens diagonally upward and forward, even if insertion portion 35 is inserted into insertion hole 29 of insertion hole member 26 and faces inside receiving member 25, when ice-making water supply unit 12 tilts downward from the closed position to the open position, ice-making water supply unit 12 and receiving member 25 do not come into contact with insertion portion 35, and ice-making water supply unit 12, receiving member 25, and supply member 34 are not damaged. Also, because supply member 34 does not come into contact with ice-making water supply unit 12, tilting of ice-making water supply unit 12 is not hindered, and cleaning operation can be performed properly. Also, since receiving port 25c of receiving member 25 opens diagonally upward and forward (upward), it can easily receive the chemical agent released from outlet 35b of supply member 34.

[0041] In the ice maker of the embodiment, the height position of the receiving opening 25c of the receiving member 25 provided in the ice-making water tank 17 is set above the upper end of the front wall 17a of the ice-making water tank 17, so there is no need to set the minimum water level that can be stored in the ice-making water tank 17 low in order to install the receiving member 25, and there is no need to enlarge the ice-making water tank 17 in order to store the specified amount of ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 17.

[0042] Here, the distance in the front-to-rear direction from support portion 20a (insertion hole 29) of front panel 20 to ice-making water tank 17 may vary depending on the model of ice-making machine, and the position of outlet 35b of supply member 34, when insertion portion 35 is inserted into insertion hole 29 of insertion hole member 26 arranged in front panel 20, will be shifted in the front-to-rear direction relative to ice-making water tank 17 (see FIGS. 3 and 14). However, receiving portion 25b of receiving member 25 extends forward by a predetermined length from front wall 17a of ice-making water tank 17, and in front of front wall 17a, receiving opening 25c extends a predetermined length in the front-to-rear direction and opens obliquely forward and upward. Therefore, in response to changes in the front-to-rear position of outlet 35b of supply member 34, outlet 35b can be made to face the interior via receiving opening 25c of receiving member 25 to receive the chemical agent released from outlet 35b. That is, common supply member 34 and receiving member 25 can be used in a plurality of ice making machine models having different separation distances from insertion hole 29 to ice making water tank 17, eliminating the need to manufacture dedicated supply members 34 and receiving members 25 of different lengths for each model, thereby reducing costs. Also, receiving opening 25c in receiving member 25 of the embodiment extends a predetermined length in the front-to-rear direction, so that even if the separation distance in the up-down direction from outlet 35b of supply member 34 inserted into insertion hole 29 to receiving opening 25c changes in models having different height positions between insertion hole 29 and ice making water tank 17, receiving opening 25c can satisfactorily receive the chemical agent released from outlet 35b, and supply member 34 and receiving member 25 can be standardized.

[0043] 3, rear portion 28a of insertion portion 28 of insertion hole member 26 is configured to face above cover portion 20b of front panel 20, so that when supply member 34 is removed from insertion hole 29, the medicine that falls from outlet 35b of supply member 34 or that falls along insertion portion 28 can be guided via cover portion 20b to drain pan 22 and discharged to the outside of the machine from drain pan 22. In other words, it is possible to prevent the medicine that falls from supply member 34 or insertion portion 28 from contaminating the ice blocks or the interior of the machine.

[0044] The insertion hole member 26 is provided with a lid member 30 that normally closes the insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29, so that when the insertion hole 29 is not in use, it is possible to prevent dust and the like from entering the box body through the insertion hole 29 and cool air from leaking through the insertion hole 29. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, the lid member 30 is configured so that the insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29 can be opened and closed while it is attached to the insertion hole member 26 via the support shaft 30c. Therefore, when inserting the insertion portion 35 of the supply member 34 into the insertion hole 29 to supply the medicine, it is not necessary to remove the lid member 30 from the insertion hole member 26, and it is possible to prevent the lid member 30 from being lost. Furthermore, the lid member 30 is configured with the fall-off prevention means 33 so that the support shaft 30c does not come out of the shaft support hole 27b in the closed position and the open position, so even if the fitting portion 30b of the lid member 30 unintentionally comes out forward from the recess 27a of the insertion hole member 26 in the closed position or the lid member 30 in the open position unintentionally moves forward, the lid member 30 will not come out of the insertion hole member 26 and loss of the lid member 30 can be prevented. Furthermore, the lid member 30 can be removed from the insertion hole member 26 by orienting the restricting portion 30d so that it aligns with the allowing hole portion 27c, which makes it easy to clean the lid member 30 and the insertion hole member 26 and keeps them hygienic.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the insertion hole member 26 is provided on the support portion 20a of the front panel 20, and when the door 18 is closed, the insertion hole member 26 is covered from the front by the door 18. That is, when the door 18 is closed, the insertion hole member 26 is hidden and not exposed to the front, so the design of the ice maker is not impaired. Also, since the insertion hole 29 of the insertion hole member 26 is covered from the front by not only the lid member 30 but also the door 18, the possibility of foreign matter entering from the outside to the inside of the box 10 can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the insertion hole member 26 is located below the protruding portion 19a of the top plate 19, there is little chance of dust or the like being caught in the insertion hole member 26 from above, further reducing the possibility of foreign matter entering the box 10.

[0046] Here, support portion 20a of front panel 20 is designed with a strength sufficient to withstand the impact that acts when door 18 is closed, so there is no need to provide further reinforcement in the configuration for forming the through hole for arranging insertion hole member 26, thereby suppressing increases in costs. Furthermore, because support portion 20a has sufficient strength, it will not dent due to the force applied when inserting insertion portion 35 of supply member 34 into insertion hole 29, and supply member 34 can be stably held in a specified position (a position where the insertion side end of insertion portion 35 is positioned between front end 25d and rear end 25e of receptacle 25c).

[0047] The insertion hole 29 in the insertion hole member 26 is oval-shaped, and the insertion portion 35 of the supply member 34 is oval-shaped in cross section. This prevents the supply member 34, whose insertion portion 35 is inserted into the insertion hole 29, from shifting circumferentially and changing its posture. The operator can hold the supply member 34 with the inlet 36 facing upward without having to hold the supply member 34. The orientation of the outlet 35b of the insertion portion 35 also remains unchanged, allowing for smooth drug introduction into the supply member 34 and drug discharge from the supply member 34 to the receiving member 25. Furthermore, the insertion opening 31 of the insertion hole 29 is oval-shaped with no corners, making it easy to clean and hygienic. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the insertion hole 29 has a pair of left and right flat portions 29a, 29a, which allow the supply member 34 to be held securely by both flat portions 29a, 29a. Furthermore, in the ice making machine of the embodiment, the supply member 34 is provided with a rotation prevention portion 36a that abuts against the upper surface of the top plate 19 and regulates circumferential displacement of the supply member 34, thereby further preventing changes in the posture of the supply member 34.

[0048] In the ice making machine of the embodiment, if the cleaning operation start switch 39 is operated when the detection history of the detection means 37 detecting the supply member 34 is not stored in the memory unit 41, the cleaning operation is not started. This prevents the cleaning operation from being performed without chemicals being supplied to the ice making water tank 17, thereby preventing unnecessary cleaning operations without chemicals. That is, before starting the cleaning operation, a chemical supply operation is required to supply chemicals to the ice making water tank 17 using the supply member 34. However, if the operator is a beginner or inexperienced worker, there is a risk that the cleaning operation start switch 39 will be operated without performing the chemical supply operation. However, in such a case, the cleaning operation is not started, thereby preventing unnecessary cleaning operations. Furthermore, if the cleaning operation start switch 39 is operated while the supply member 34 is inserted in the insertion hole 29, the control means 38 controls the notification means 40 to notify the user that the supply member 34 is inserted in the insertion hole 29. This prevents the cleaning operation from being performed while the supply member 34 is inserted in the insertion hole 29. In other words, even if there is a possibility that the supply member 34 and the ice-making water supply unit 12 may come into contact due to an error in the formation position of the insertion hole 29 or in the attachment position of the receiving member 25 relative to the ice-making water tank 17, the worker can be prompted to remove the supply member 34, thereby preventing damage to the supply member 34, the ice-making water supply unit 12, etc.

[0049] [Example of change] The present application is not limited to the configurations of the above-described examples, and other configurations may be adopted as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples may be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention, without being limited to the following modifications. (1) In the embodiment, an ice maker is described in which the ice-making mechanism is arranged inside the upper part of the box body and an ice storage chamber is defined inside the lower part of the box body, but it may also be a stack-on type ice maker in which the ice-making unit is placed in the ice storage chamber. (2) In the embodiment, the receiving port of the receiving member is formed to open diagonally upward and forward, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which it opens upward and the outlet formed at the end of the insertion side of the supply member whose insertion portion is inserted into the insertion hole faces above the receiving port, so that the medicine released from the outlet can be received through the receiving port. (3) The supply member may be entirely trough-shaped as long as it has a shape that allows the drug to be supplied. (4) In the embodiment, both the means for forming the insertion hole and the insertion portion into an oval shape and the means for providing a rotation restricting portion on the supply member are used as the means for restricting the circumferential displacement of the supply member inserted into the insertion hole, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration that uses only one of these. Note that if only the means for providing a rotation restricting portion is used, the shape of the insertion hole and the insertion portion can be made circular, which simplifies the shape of the supply member and the insertion hole member and reduces costs. (5) In the embodiment, the receiving member is attached to a mounting portion provided on the ice-making water tank, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the receiving member is directly attached in a state in which it is in communication with the ice-making water tank. Also, in the embodiment, the receiving member is molded separately from the ice-making water tank and is detachably attached, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the receiving member is molded integrally with the ice-making water tank. (6) In the embodiment, when the detection means detects the supply member and the cleaning operation start switch is operated, only an alarm is issued, but it is also possible not to execute the cleaning operation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10 Box body, 10b Ice outlet, 11 Ice making section, 11a Ice making chamber (ice making chamber) 12 ice making water supply section, 16 water tray, 17 ice making water tank, 18 door 20 front panel, 25 receiving member, 25b receiving portion, 25c receiving opening 25d Front end (insertion port end), 25e Rear end (ice water tank end) 26 Insertion hole member, 29 Insertion hole, 29a Planar portion, 30 Cover member, 31 Insertion opening 32 Discharge means, 33 Fall-off prevention means, 34 Supply member, 35b Outlet 35c: Insertion end, 36a: Rotation prevention portion (regulating portion), 36b: Insertion port (entrance) 37 detection means, 38 control means, 39 cleaning operation start switch (cleaning operation start means) 40 Notification means

Claims

1. In an ice making machine, an ice making water supply section (12) provided with a water tray (16) capable of closing the ice making chamber (11a) and an ice making water tank (17) capable of storing ice making water is disposed below an ice making section (11) defining an ice making chamber (11a) that opens downward, and the ice making water supply section (12) is arranged so as to be movable up and down between a closed position where the ice making chamber (11a) is closed by the water tray (16) and an open position, a supply member (34) that is insertable from the outside of the box into an insertion hole (29) that can open inward and outward directions of the box body (10) containing the ice making unit (11) and the ice making water supply unit (12), and that is capable of discharging chemicals supplied to an inlet (36b) facing the outside of the box body from an outlet (35b) facing the inside of the box body; a receiving member (25) provided in the ice-making water tank (17) for guiding the chemicals discharged from the outlet (35b) of the supply member (34) to the ice-making water tank (17); The supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29) is positioned so that the insertion side end is located between the end of the receiving opening (25c) of the receiving member (25) on the ice making water tank side and the end on the insertion hole side, When the ice-making water supply unit (12) is in the closed position, the receiving member (25) receives the chemicals discharged from the outlet (35b) of the supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29) and positioned, and when the ice-making water supply unit (12) is moved to the open position, the ice-making water supply unit (12) and the receiving member (25) do not come into contact with the positioned supply member (34). An ice maker characterized by:

2. The receiving member (25) has a receiving portion (25b) in which the receiving port (25c) opens upward when the ice-making water supply unit (12) is in a closed position, 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29) is configured to face the interior through a receiving opening (25c) of the receiving portion (25b).

3. The receiving portion (25b) of the receiving member (25) extends toward the insertion hole by a predetermined length, The ice making machine of claim 2, wherein even when a receiving member (25) is provided in the ice making water tank (17) of various ice making machines having different distances and / or heights between the insertion hole (29) and the ice making water tank (17), the receiving portion (25b) is configured to receive the chemicals released from the outlet (35b) of the supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29).

4. An ice making machine as described in claim 1, wherein a discharge means (32) is provided below the portion of the supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29) facing the inside of the box body to receive the chemicals that fall from the supply member (34) and discharge them to the outside.

5. an insertion hole member (26) disposed in the box body (10) and having the insertion hole (29) formed therein; a cover member (30) attached to the insertion hole member (26) and displaceable between a position where the insertion hole (29) is closed from the outside and an open position where the insertion hole (29) is opened to the outside, 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the cover member (30) is attached to the insertion hole member (26) by a fall prevention means (33) so as not to fall off from the insertion hole member (26) when in the closed position or the open position.

6. The box (10) is provided with a door (18) for opening and closing an ice outlet (10b) provided on one side thereof, 2. The ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein the insertion hole (29) is provided in a front panel (20) that defines the ice outlet (10b) and supports the door (18) when closed, at a position that is covered by the door (18).

7. The insertion hole (29) has an insertion opening (31) that opens outward from the box body and is formed in an oval shape having flat portions (29a, 29a), The ice making machine of claim 1, wherein the supply member (34) has an insertion portion (35) that can be inserted into the insertion hole (29) and is formed with an oval cross-sectional shape that can fit into the insertion opening (31), and the circumferential displacement of the supply member (34) is restricted by fitting the insertion portion (35) into the insertion opening (31).

8. The ice making machine of claim 1, wherein the supply member (34) is provided with a regulating portion (36a) that abuts against the top surface of the box body (10) when inserted into the insertion hole (29) to regulate circumferential displacement.

9. a control means (38) for executing a cleaning operation based on the operation of a cleaning operation starting means (39); a detection means (37) for detecting the supply member (34) inserted into the insertion hole (29), The ice making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control means (38) is configured not to execute the washing operation even if the washing operation start means (39) is operated when there is no detection information of the supply member (34) by the detection means (37).

10. a notification means (40) controlled by the control means (38), 10. The ice making machine according to claim 9, wherein when the cleaning operation start means (39) is operated while the detection means (37) is detecting the supply member (34), the control means (38) controls the notification means (40) to notify that the supply member (34) is inserted into the insertion hole (29).

Images