Ice maker

Abstract

In an ice maker equipped with a water tray that can be opened and closed to seal the opening of the ice-making compartment of the ice-making section, the ice storage compartment, including the water tray and the area below the water tray, is appropriately cooled when the cooling operation is performed. [Solution] When the ice maker 10 detects that the ice storage compartment 12 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 42, it is controlled to enter standby mode and not perform ice making or de-icing operations, remaining in standby mode without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage compartment 12. During standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to cool the ice making section, thereby enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice storage compartment. During the cooling operation, the water tray 23 is controlled to be able to tilt between a closed position and an open position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker that produces ice in an ice-making unit provided in an ice-making and ice-storing chamber. When the ice-making and ice-storing chamber is filled with ice, the ice-making unit waits for ice production, and a cold storage operation is performed in which the ice-making unit is cooled by a refrigeration device to keep the inside of the ice-making and ice-storing chamber cold.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an ice maker that produces ice in an ice-making unit provided in an ice-making chamber. This ice maker includes an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, water supply means that sends ice-making water to the ice-making unit, an ice-making chamber in which the ice-making unit is disposed, a storage ice chamber that is disposed below the ice-making chamber and stores the ice produced by the ice-making unit, and a storage ice detector that detects that the storage ice chamber is filled with ice. The ice-making unit has a plurality of ice-making compartments that open downward, and below the ice-making unit, a water tray that closes the ice-making compartments in an openable and closable manner is supported so as to be tiltable around a horizontal axis. The water tray is in a closed position that closes the opening of the ice-making compartment when it is below the ice-making unit, and is supported so as to be in an open position that opens the opening of the ice-making compartment by tilting the side opposite to the pivotally supported position downward. A tank capable of storing ice-making water is integrally provided below the water tray, and a pump for sending the ice-making water to the ice-making compartment through the water tray is provided at the lower part of the tank.

[0003] In this ice maker, when performing an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is frozen in the ice-making unit to produce ice, the water tray is in the closed position to block the opening of the ice-making compartment, and the pump is operated to inject ice-making water into the ice-making compartment from injection holes provided in the water tray, and the ice-making water is frozen in the ice-making compartment to form ice. Also, when performing a defrosting operation after the ice-making operation, the water tray is tilted from below the ice-making unit to the open position to detach the ice produced in the ice-making compartment. By alternately repeating the ice-making operation and the defrosting operation, ice is stored in the storage ice chamber.

[0004] In this ice maker, when the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, it operates in ice-making mode, alternating between ice-making and de-icing operations to produce ice for storage in the ice storage chamber. When the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, it switches to ice storage mode, controlling the machine to not perform ice-making or de-icing operations, and remains in standby mode without producing ice for storage. When switching from ice-making mode to ice storage mode, the operation of the refrigeration system is controlled to cool the ice-making section, enabling a cooling operation to cool both the ice-making and ice storage chambers. The ice-making and ice storage chambers are kept cool by the cold air generated from the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration system. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-054945 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the ice maker described in Patent Document 1, when transitioning from ice-making mode to ice-storage mode (standby mode), a cooling operation is performed to cool the ice-making chamber and the ice-storage chamber (ice-making storage compartment) by controlling the operation of the refrigeration device to cool the ice-making section. When transitioning from ice-making mode to ice-storage mode, the water tray remains in the open position from the de-icing operation, and when the cooling operation is performed, the water tray is not excessively cooled in a position close to the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device, thus preventing the ice-making water remaining in the water tray from freezing. However, the cold air from the ice-making section cooled by the cooling operation cannot sufficiently cool the water tray or easily circulate to the underside of the water tray, making it impossible to properly cool the tank, drain pan, etc., located below the water tray. The present invention aims to properly cool the ice-making storage compartment, including the water tray and the area below the water tray, when a cooling operation is performed in an ice maker equipped with a water tray that can open and close the opening of the ice-making chamber of the ice-making section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the present invention comprises an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water in a plurality of ice-making chambers opening downwards to produce ice, a refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making unit, a water tray supported below the ice-making unit so as to be tiltable around a horizontal axis between a closed position that closes the openings of the ice-making chambers and an open position that opens the openings of the ice-making chambers by tilting downwards, an ice-making storage chamber where the ice-making unit is located above and which forms a space for storing ice produced in the ice-making unit, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice-making storage chamber is full of ice. When performing an ice-making operation in which ice-making water is frozen to produce ice in the ice-making unit, the water tray is set to the closed position to close the openings of the ice-making chambers, and ice-making water is sprayed into the ice-making chambers from injection holes provided in the water tray to freeze the ice-making water in the ice-making chambers and form ice, and a de-icing operation is performed after the ice-making operation. This ice maker is designed so that when ice is being made, the water tray is tilted to an open position below the ice-making section to release the ice made in the ice-making chamber. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage section is full of ice, the ice-making mode alternately performs ice-making and de-icing operations to produce ice to be stored in the ice-making storage section. When the ice storage detector detects that the ice-making storage section is full of ice, the ice maker is controlled to remain in standby mode without performing ice-making or de-icing operations, and during standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device is controlled to cool the ice-making section, thereby enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the ice-making storage section. The ice maker is characterized in that the water tray is controlled to be tiltable between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation.

[0008] In the ice maker configured as described above, the water tray is controlled to tilt between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation. When the water tray is in the closed position rather than the open position during the cooling operation, the cold air from the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device can primarily cool the upper surface of the water tray. When the water tray is in the open position rather than the closed position during the cooling operation, the cold air from the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device can not only primarily cool the space below the water tray, but also cool the inside of the ice-making storage compartment, thus allowing the entire inside of the ice-making storage compartment to be cooled.

[0009] In the ice maker configured as described above, it is preferable to control the water tray to tilt downward from the closed position during the cooling operation. When controlled in this way, the ice-making section, which is cooled by the refrigeration device when the water tray is in the closed position, can be cooled, and then the inside of the ice storage compartment can be cooled by the cold air that flows out from the ice-making section when the water tray is tilted downward from the closed position. In addition, since the water tray is not maintained in the closed position during the cooling operation, it is possible to prevent the water remaining in the water tray from freezing in the spray holes.

[0010] In the ice maker configured as described above, it is preferable to have a tank below the water tray that can store ice-making water, and a drain pan that covers the bottom of the tank and receives the water discharged from the tank, and to stop the water tray from tilting between a closed position and an open position when the cooling operation is being performed. When this is done, when the water tray is stopped from tilting between the closed position and the open position, a large amount of cold air from the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device can be sent to the bottom of the tank below the water tray and the top surface of the drain pan, so that the bottom of the tank and the top surface of the drain pan can be properly cooled.

[0011] In the ice maker configured as described above, it is preferable to have a tank below the water tray that can store ice-making water, and a water supply means that supplies water from a water source to the tank through the top of the water tray, and to control the water supply means so that when the water tray is tilted from a closed position to an open position, water is sent from the water supply means to the top of the water tray. When this is done, it is possible to melt the ice that remains frozen in the spray holes of the water tray, and the temperature of the cold air flowing down from the ice-making unit over the top of the water tray can be adjusted by the water flowing over the top of the water tray, thereby suppressing so-called arching, in which multiple ice cubes in the ice-making storage compartment fuse together due to the cold air from the cooling operation.

[0012] In an ice maker configured as described above, it is preferable to control the water tray to oscillate between a closed position and an open position when the cooling operation is being performed. When this is done, the cold air from the ice-making section, which is cooled by the refrigeration device, can be distributed throughout the entire ice-making storage compartment, including the upper and lower sides of the water tray, and the entire ice-making storage compartment can be properly cooled. In addition, the cold air from the ice-making section, which is cooled by the refrigeration device, can be prevented from flowing down to a specific location in the ice-making storage compartment, thereby suppressing the occurrence of arching, where multiple ice cubes in the ice-making storage compartment fuse together due to the cold air from the cooling operation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the ice maker of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the ice-making section and water tray. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the control device. [Figure 5] This is a time chart for when ice-making mode and standby mode are running. [Figure 6] This is a time chart corresponding to Figure 5, showing the water tray being oscillated between the closed and open positions during the cooling operation in standby mode. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram showing a holder for storing a shovel with ventilation holes. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram in which a drainage guide for guiding the drainage from the tank to the drain pan is provided on the opening side of the water tray. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram of the water tray and the ice storage detection plate seen from above. It is a schematic diagram (a) in which both sides of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to be away from the water tray side, a schematic diagram (b) in which both sides of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to be further away from the water tray side than (a), a schematic diagram (c) in which both sides of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to approach the water tray side, and a schematic diagram (d) in which both sides of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to gently approach the water tray side from (c). [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram of the water tray and the ice storage detection plate seen from the front side. It is a schematic diagram (a) in which the upper and lower parts of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to be away from the water tray side, and a schematic diagram (b) in which the upper and lower parts of the ice storage detection plate are curved so as to approach the water tray side. [Figure 11] It is a schematic diagram showing the ice making part and the water tray. It is a schematic diagram (a) when the water tray is tilted to the open position, and a schematic diagram (b) when the water tray is further tilted from the open position. [Figure 12] It is a schematic diagram showing the ice making part and the water tray. It is a schematic diagram in which a recessed part is provided in the extending part of the water tray. [Figure 13] It is a schematic diagram showing the ice making part and the water tray. It is a schematic diagram in which a cold storage material is provided above the ice making part. [Figure 14] It is a schematic diagram showing the ice making part and the water tray. It is a schematic diagram (a) in which a partition is provided at the discharge port, and a schematic diagram (b) when the movable plate of the partition is opened by the weight of the ice. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing the ice making part and the water tray. It is a schematic diagram (a) in which a partition is provided at the discharge port, and a schematic diagram (b) when the partition is bent and opened by the weight of the ice.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the ice maker of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ice maker 10 of the present invention is a so-called closed cell type ice maker, and includes an ice storage bin 12 and a machine room 17 in a housing 11. The ice storage bin 12 includes an ice making chamber 13 where an ice making unit 21 and the like for making ice of the ice making mechanism unit 20 are arranged at the upper part, and an ice storage chamber 14 for storing the ice made by the ice making unit 21 below the ice making chamber 13. Inside the ice storage bin 12, ice and cold air are partitioned by a drain pan (partition part) 15 so as to be able to pass through. A heat insulating member (not shown) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the ice storage bin 12, and the ice storage bin 12 is covered in a heat-insulated state by the heat insulating member.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, two outlets 12a and 12b formed of openings for taking out ice are formed in the front part of the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice storage bin 12, and the outlets 12a and 12b are openably and closably blocked by a door 16. In this embodiment, the door 16 includes a first door 16a that openably and closably blocks the upper outlet 12a, and a second door 16b that openably and closably blocks the lower outlet 12b. The first door 16a uses two sliding doors and is supported so as to be movable left and right at the upper front part of the ice storage chamber 14. The second door 16b uses a hinged door, and the lower end part is supported so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis at the lower front part of the ice storage chamber 14. The machine room 17 is arranged at a position adjacent to the ice making chamber 13 in the horizontal direction at the upper part of the housing 11, and machine parts such as a refrigeration device 30 excluding the evaporator 34 of the ice making mechanism unit 20 are arranged. In FIG. 1, the ice in the ice storage chamber 14 is shown by a dashed line.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the ice maker 10 is equipped with an ice-making mechanism 20 that produces ice. The ice-making mechanism 20 includes an ice-making unit 21 that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device 30 capable of cooling and heating the ice-making unit 21, and a water supply means 22 that supplies ice-making water to the ice-making unit 21. The ice-making unit 21 is located inside the ice-making chamber 13 and is a shallow, box-shaped structure with an open bottom. A grid-like partition member is provided inside the box to form multiple ice-making compartments 21a that open to the bottom. Ice-making water is sprayed into each ice-making compartment 21a from below, and block-shaped ice is formed inside each ice-making compartment 21a as the ice-making water freezes.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an evaporator 34, which constitutes the refrigeration system 30, is located on the upper surface of the ice-making unit 21. The refrigeration system 30 is capable of cooling or heating the ice-making unit 21 through cooling and heating operations, and is located in the machine room 17, except for the evaporator 34 which is located above the ice-making unit 21 in the ice-making chamber 13. As shown in Figure 2, the refrigeration system 30 includes a compressor 31 that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser 32 that cools and liquefies the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31, an expansion valve 33 that expands the liquefied refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 32 to produce low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, and an evaporator 34 that vaporizes the liquefied refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 33 to cool the ice-making unit 21. The refrigeration system 30 is configured as a refrigeration circuit by connecting the compressor 31, condenser 32, expansion valve 33, and evaporator 34 in a ring shape with refrigerant pipes. When the refrigeration unit 30 is put into cooling operation, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become liquefied refrigerant. The liquefied refrigerant then becomes low-pressure liquefied refrigerant in the expansion valve 33, and the heat of vaporization generated when the low-pressure liquefied refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 34 cools the ice-making unit 21.

[0018] To prevent repeated short-term starting and stopping (operation and deactivation), the compressor 31 has a minimum operating time (3 minutes in this embodiment) and a minimum stopping time (3 minutes in this embodiment). Therefore, in the cooling operation described later, a cooling operation time is set in which the refrigeration device 30 is operated to maintain cooling, and a cooling standby time is set in which the refrigeration device 30 is kept inactive, taking into account the minimum operating time and minimum stopping time of the compressor 31. The condenser 32 is equipped with a condenser fan 32a, and the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 is cooled by the air blown by the condenser fan 32a. The condenser 32 is equipped with a condenser temperature sensor 32b, which is used to detect the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32. The evaporator 34 is made of a tubular material with high thermal conductivity and is arranged in a meandering manner above the ice-making unit 21.

[0019] Furthermore, the refrigeration system 30 is equipped with a hot gas pipe (hot gas path) 35 that supplies hot gas to the evaporator 34. The hot gas pipe 35 connects the downstream of the compressor 31 and the upstream of the evaporator 34, guiding the hot gas from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34. A hot gas valve 36 is interposed in the hot gas pipe 35, and the hot gas valve 36 allows the hot gas pipe 35 to be opened and closed. When the refrigeration system 30 is operated in heating mode, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 by the opening of the hot gas valve 36, and the hot gas heats the ice-making section 21 as it passes through the evaporator 34. In this way, the ice-making section 21 is cooled by the evaporation of the refrigerant circulating in the evaporator 34 during the cooling operation of the refrigeration system 30, and heated by the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34 during the heating operation of the refrigeration system 30.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2, a water supply means 22 for supplying ice-making water is provided below the ice-making unit 21. The water supply means 22 includes a water tray 23 that can be opened and closed to close the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21, a tank 24 that stores ice-making water below the water tray 23, and a water supply pump 25 that supplies the ice-making water from the tank 24 to the ice-making unit 21. The water tray 23, tank 24, and water supply pump 25 are arranged inside the ice-making chamber 13, similar to the ice-making unit 21. The water tray 23 is pivotally supported so as to be able to tilt around a horizontal axis between a closed position that closes the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a (shown by the solid line in Figure 2) and an open position that opens the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a (shown by the dashed line in Figure 2). The water tray 23 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 26, and the water tray 23 tilts between a closed position and an open position by the drive of the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, thereby opening and closing the lower side of the ice-making chambers 21a. As shown in Figure 3, the water tray 23 has an ice-making water passage 23a for sending ice-making water from the tank 24 to each ice-making chamber 21a, and the upper surface of the water tray 23 has injection holes 23b for injecting ice-making water from the ice-making water passage 23a into each ice-making chamber 21a.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the ice-making mechanism 20 is equipped with a water supply means 27 that supplies water to the tank 24. The water supply means 27 includes a water supply pipe 27a that supplies water from a water source such as a tap as ice-making water, a water supply valve 27b interposed in the water supply pipe 27a, and a sprinkler pipe 27c connected to the water inlet at the end of the water supply pipe 27a and positioned above the water tray 23. The water from the water source is sprinkled above the water tray 23 through the water supply pipe 27a and the sprinkler pipe 27c, and the water sprinkled above the water tray 23 is sent into the tank 24 through a return port (not shown). The ice-making water in the tank 24 is sent to the ice-making water passage 23a of the water tray 23 by a water supply pump 25, and the ice-making water sent to the ice-making water passage 23a is sprayed into the ice-making chamber 21a from the spray holes 23b. The sprayed ice-making water is cooled in the ice-making chamber 21a and then returns to the tank 24 through the return port. The ice-making water circulates between the tank 24 and the ice-making chamber 21a, where it is cooled and freezes into ice within the ice-making chamber 21a.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, a drain pan 15 is provided on the lower side of the tank 24. The drain pan 15 prevents dripping water from the ice-making mechanism 20 from falling into the ice storage chamber and also receives the ice-making water remaining in the tank 24 after ice-making operation. A drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the drain pan 15, and the ice-making water received in the drain pan 15 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the drain pipe. The drain pan 15 also covers the lower side of the ice-making unit 21 and the water supply means 22, and functions as a partition separating the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice storage chamber 14, with a discharge port 15a for discharging ice produced by the ice-making unit 21 into the ice storage chamber 14. The discharge port 15a is an opening formed between the drain pan 15 and the side wall of the ice-making storage chamber 12, and in this embodiment, it is formed to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the ice-making chamber 13.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the ice-making unit 21 is equipped with an ice-making unit temperature sensor 41, which detects the temperature of the ice-making unit 21, thereby enabling detection of the completion of ice-making during the ice-making operation and the completion of ice-removal during the ice-removal operation, as described later. The ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is equipped with an ice storage detector 42 that detects when it is filled with ice. The ice storage detector 42 is positioned to extend from the ice-making chamber 13 to the ice storage chamber 14, straddling the discharge port 15a, and detects the ice accumulated in the upper part of the ice storage chamber 14 below the discharge port 15a, thereby detecting when the ice storage chamber 14 is filled with ice. The ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is equipped with an internal temperature sensor 43, which is capable of detecting the temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0024] The ice maker 10 is equipped with a control device 50, and as shown in Figure 4, this control device 50 is connected to the water supply pump 25, the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, the water supply valve 27b, the compressor 31, the condenser fan 32a, the condenser temperature sensor 32b, the hot gas valve 36, the ice making section temperature sensor 41, the ice storage detector 42, and the internal temperature sensor 43. The control device 50 has a microcomputer (not shown), which includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, and timer (all not shown) connected via a bus. The control device 50 has an ice making program that alternately and repeatedly executes an ice making operation, in which ice is produced by freezing the ice making water in the ice making section 21, and an ice removal operation, in which the ice frozen in the ice making section 21 is removed.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, when the ice storage detector 42 does not detect that the ice storage compartment 14 of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12 is filled with ice, the control device 50 operates an ice-making program that alternately repeats ice-making and de-icing operations to produce ice for storage in the ice storage compartment 14. When the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage compartment 14 is filled with ice, the control device 50 operates in standby mode without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations. In addition, during this standby mode, the control device 50 controls the operation of the refrigeration unit 30 to enable a cooling operation to cool the inside of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12.

[0026] In the ice-making operation, the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by operating the refrigeration unit 30 with the water tray 23 in the closed position. Water from the tank 24 is then injected by the water pump 25 from the injection holes 23b of the water tray 23 into the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21, where it is cooled and then returned to the tank 24. The water in the tank 24 is circulated between the tank 24 and the ice-making chamber 21a, and ice is produced by freezing the water in the ice-making chamber 21a. In the de-icing operation, the ice-making unit 21 is heated by operating the refrigeration unit 30 with the water tray 23 in the open position. The ice produced in the ice-making chamber 21a during the ice-making operation is melted at the contact surface with the ice-making chamber 21a and separated from the ice-making chamber 21a.

[0027] The purpose of the cooling operation is to maintain a low temperature inside the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12 to suppress the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, and to prevent the ice from melting while preventing arching, which occurs when multiple ice cubes stored in the ice-storage chamber 14 of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12 freeze and fuse together. The cooling operation cools the ice-making unit 21 by the cooling operation (activation) of the refrigeration unit 30, and the cooled ice-making unit 21 cools the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice-storage chamber 14 of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12. By performing the cooling operation, the inside of the ice-making chamber 13 is cooled by the ice-making unit 21 cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration unit 30, and further, the inside of the ice-storage chamber 14 is cooled by the flow of cold air from inside the ice-making chamber 13. The ice-making chamber 13 is kept at a low temperature by the cooled ice-making section 21, which suppresses the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, making it hygienic. In the ice storage chamber 14, the cold air that flows down from the ice-making chamber 13 through the discharge port 15a prevents the ice from melting.

[0028] The cooling operation is controlled to be performed based on the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 43, which detects the temperature inside the ice maker / storage compartment 12 during standby mode. In this embodiment, the cooling operation is controlled to be performed when the calculated internal cumulative average temperature, which is the average value per unit time of the cumulative values ​​obtained by accumulating the temperatures detected by the internal temperature sensor 43 over time during standby mode, is equal to or greater than the cooling set temperature. Furthermore, the cooling operation is controlled to be performed for a cooling operation time (e.g., 3 to 5 minutes) that is set to be equal to or greater than the minimum operating time of the compressor 31. Alternatively, the cooling operation may be controlled to be performed when the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 43 is equal to or greater than the cooling set temperature.

[0029] As explained in the background technology section, when the de-icing operation is performed in ice-making mode, the water tray 23 is in the open position, and when the system switches from ice-making mode to standby mode, the water tray 23 remains in the open position. When the cooling operation is performed in standby mode while the water tray 23 remains in the open position from the de-icing operation, the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 flows over the top of the water tray 23 and down into the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12, suppressing the melting of the ice inside the ice-making storage unit 12. However, the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 does not easily flow to the bottom of the water tray 23 inside the ice-making storage unit 12, making it difficult to cool the tank 24 and drain pan 15 located below the water tray 23. Therefore, in this ice maker 10, the water tray 23 is controlled to be tiltable between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation, so that the cold air generated from the ice-making section 21, which has been cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 during the cooling operation, flows to the areas in the ice storage compartment 12 where cooling is most needed.

[0030] As an example of controlling the water tray 23 to tilt between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation, if the water tray 23, which was in the open position during the de-icing operation, is moved to the closed position at the start of the cooling operation, and the water tray 23 is controlled to tilt from the closed position to the open position during the cooling operation, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21, which has been cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, first cools the water tray 23 in the closed position. Then, as the water tray 21 tilts from the closed position to the open position, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 not only flows to the underside of the water tray 23, but also flows over the water tray 23 and down into the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12. This not only suppresses the melting of ice in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12, but also cools the tank 24 and the upper surface of the drain pan 15 below the water tray 23, where the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 does not easily flow.

[0031] As another example, when the cooling operation is performed with the water tray 23 stopped tilting between the closed and open positions, the water tray 23 is positioned so that the tilt support side (left side in Figure 2) and the open side (right side in Figure 2) are away from the upper surface of the drain pan 15. As a result, the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 flows not only over the top of the water tray 23 to the ice storage chamber 14, but also flows more to the bottom of the tank 24 below the water tray 23 and to the upper surface of the drain pan 15. Furthermore, as yet another example, when the water tray 23 is controlled to oscillate between the closed and open positions during the cooling operation, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 can be distributed throughout the entire ice-making and ice storage compartment 12, including the top and bottom sides of the water tray 23, allowing the entire ice-making and ice storage compartment 12 to be cooled evenly. Furthermore, the cold air from the ice-making unit 21 can be prevented from continuously flowing down to a specific location within the ice-making storage compartment 12, thereby suppressing the occurrence of arching, where multiple ice cubes in the storage compartment 14 of the ice-making storage compartment 12 fuse together due to the cold air from the cooling operation.

[0032] Next, the ice-making program executed during ice-making mode will be described. As shown in Figure 5, when the control device 50 executes the ice-making program during ice-making mode, the ice-making unit 21 repeatedly performs ice-making and de-icing operations alternately. When the control device 50 performs ice-making operation, it cools the refrigeration unit 30, causing the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 to be liquefied in the condenser 32, which then expands in the expansion valve 33 to become low-pressure liquefied refrigerant. This low-pressure liquefied refrigerant vaporizes in the evaporator 34 and returns to the compressor 31, and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant in the evaporator 34. In addition, with the water tray 23 moved to the closed position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, the control device 50 opens the water supply valve 27b for a predetermined time corresponding to the capacity of the tank 24, thereby storing in the tank 24 the amount of ice-making water necessary to form ice in the ice-making unit 21.

[0033] When the control device 50 operates the water supply pump 25 while the refrigeration unit 30 is in cooling operation, the ice-making water in the tank 24 is sprayed into each ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21 by the operation of the water supply pump 25. The sprayed ice-making water is cooled in each ice-making chamber 21a and returns to the tank 24, and as the ice-making water circulates between the tank 24 and each ice-making chamber 21a, it is cooled and gradually freezes in each ice-making chamber 21a. When the amount of ice-making water in the tank 24 decreases and the ice-making water freezes in each ice-making chamber 21a to form block-shaped ice, and the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 falls below the ice-making completion temperature, the control device 50 terminates the ice-making operation and starts the de-icing operation.

[0034] During the de-icing operation after the ice-making operation, the control device 50 opens the hot gas valve 36 while the compressor 31 is operating, causing the refrigeration unit 30 to heat up, and the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26 tilts the water tray 23 to the open position. When the refrigeration unit 30 is heated, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided through the hot gas pipe 35 to the evaporator 34, heating each of the ice-making compartments 21a of the ice-making unit 21. The temperature of the ice-making unit 21 gradually rises due to the hot gas introduced into the evaporator 34, and the ice frozen in each of the ice-making compartments 21a detaches, slides down the top surface of the water tray 23, and falls into the ice storage chamber 14 through the discharge port 15a.

[0035] As the ice-making unit 21 gradually rises as the ice detaches, the control device 50 detects that there is no ice remaining in the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21, i.e., that de-icing is complete, and closes the hot gas valve 36 to end the de-icing operation. If the ice storage detector 42 has not detected that the ice storage chamber 14 is filled with ice, the control device 50 restarts the ice-making program which alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations as described above. In this way, the control device 50 controls the ice-making program to alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations in ice-making mode until the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage chamber 14 is filled with ice.

[0036] When the system is controlled to execute an ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations, the ice-making compartment 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12 will be filled with ice produced by the ice-making unit 21. When the ice-storage detector 42 detects that the ice-storage compartment 14 is full of ice (when the ice-storage detector 42 turns ON (full) in Figure 5), the control device 50 terminates the ice-making mode and switches to standby mode, controlling the system to remain in standby mode without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5, the control device 50 controls the system to perform a cooling operation when the standby mode starts, transitioning from the ice-making mode, if the temperature detected by the internal temperature sensor 43 is equal to or higher than the set cooling temperature (11°C in this embodiment) set as the temperature for cooling the inside of the ice-making storage compartment 12. When performing the cooling operation, the water tray 23, which is tilted to the open position during the de-icing operation, is returned to the closed position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30. In addition, after the start of the cooling operation, the water tray 23, which is in the closed position, is controlled to be gradually (step by step) tilted towards the open position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26. The cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21, which has been cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, first cools the water tray 23, which is in a closed position. As the water tray 23 gradually (in stages) tilts towards the open position, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 not only flows to the underside of the water tray 23, but also flows over the water tray 23 and down into the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0038] During the cooling operation, the water tray 23 is controlled to tilt from the closed position to the open position, so that the water tray 23 is cooled by the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 in the closed position, thereby suppressing the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. The tank 24 below the water tray 23 and the upper surface of the drain pan 15 are cooled by the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 as the water tray 23 tilts to the open position, thereby suppressing the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. Furthermore, the inside of the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is cooled by the cold air flowing down from the ice-making unit 21 when the water tray 23 tilts to the open position, thereby suppressing the melting of ice.

[0039] Since the water tray 23 is not continuously in the closed position during the cooling operation, the water remaining on the top surface of the water tray 23 and the spray holes 23b is less likely to freeze. When the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, the water tray 23 is controlled to tilt in stages while temporarily pausing between the closed position and the open position. By temporarily pausing between the closed position and the open position, the water tray 23 stops at a position where the open side opposite the tilt support side is away from the drain pan 15, and the cold air generated from the ice making unit 21 flows more to the bottom of the tank 24 below the water tray 23 and to the top surface of the drain pan 15. As a result, the entire inside of the ice making and storage unit 12 can be cooled, including the bottom of the tank 24 below the water tray 23 and the top surface of the drain pan 15, which are less easily cooled.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the water tray 23 is tilted from the closed position to the open position during the cooling operation, the water supply valve 27b constituting the water supply means 27 is opened for a certain period of time to control the flow of water from the water supply pipe 27a to the upper side of the water tray 23. By flowing water to the upper side of the water tray 23, it is possible to melt the ice frozen in the injection holes 23b of the water tray 23, and the temperature of the cold air flowing down from the ice making unit 21 to the upper side of the water tray 23 can be adjusted, thereby suppressing so-called arching, which occurs when multiple ice cubes in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making and storage unit 12 are excessively cooled and fuse together during the cooling operation.

[0041] When ice is removed from the outlets 12a and 12b of the ice-making storage compartment 12 during standby mode, and the ice storage detector 42 no longer detects that the ice storage compartment 14 of the ice-making storage compartment 12 is full of ice, the control device 50 switches from standby mode to ice-making mode and executes an ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations. Before switching from standby mode to ice-making mode, the water supply valve 27b is controlled to be open for a certain period of time, allowing water to flow over the top surface of the water tray 23 in the open position. When the cooling operation is performed, the ice that has frozen on the top surface of the water tray 23 and in the injection holes 23b is melted by the water flowing over the top surface of the water tray 23, preventing the production of ice of different shapes in the ice-making compartment 21a when the ice-making operation is performed for the first time after switching to ice-making mode.

[0042] Furthermore, when transitioning from standby mode to ice-making mode, the water tray 23 may be moved to the closed position before starting the ice-making operation, and then the water supply pump 25 may be activated to inject the ice-making water from the tank 24 into the ice-making chamber 21a. After a certain period of time before ice is formed in the ice-making chamber 21a, the operation of the actuator motor 26a may be controlled to temporarily tilt the water tray 23 from the closed position to the open position before returning it to the closed position. Even if the water remaining in the injection holes 23b of the water tray 23 freezes into ice when the cooling operation is performed during standby mode, the water tray 23 is controlled to temporarily open and close, making it easier to remove the ice remaining in the injection holes 23b of the water tray 23. By controlling it in this way, it is possible to prevent the production of ice of different shapes in the ice-making chamber 21a when the ice-making operation is performed for the first time after transitioning to ice-making mode.

[0043] In the ice maker 10 configured as described above, when performing an ice-making operation in the ice-making section 21 to freeze ice-making water and produce ice, the water tray 23 is closed to block the opening of the ice-making chamber 21a, and ice-making water is injected into the ice-making chamber 21a from the injection holes 23b provided in the water tray 23 to freeze the ice-making water and form ice. When performing a de-icing operation after the ice-making operation, the water tray 23 is tilted to an open position below the ice-making section 21 to release the ice produced in the ice-making chamber 21a. In this ice maker 10, when the ice storage detector 42 does not detect that the ice storage compartment 14 of the ice maker storage unit 12 is filled with ice, the ice maker operates in ice-making mode, alternating between ice-making and de-icing operations to produce ice for storage in the ice maker storage unit 12. When the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage compartment 14 of the ice maker storage unit 12 is filled with ice, the ice maker operates in standby mode, preventing the ice-making and de-icing operations from being performed, and remains in standby mode without producing ice for storage in the ice maker storage unit 12.

[0044] This ice maker 10 is capable of performing a cooling operation to cool the ice making and storage compartment 12 by controlling the refrigeration unit 30 to perform a cooling operation during standby mode to cool the ice making unit 21, and the water tray 23 is controlled to be able to tilt between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation. When the water tray 23 is in the closed position rather than the open position during the cooling operation, the cold air from the ice making unit 21 cooled by the refrigeration unit 30 can mainly cool the upper surface of the water tray 23, and when the water tray 23 is in the open position rather than the closed position during the cooling operation, the cold air from the ice making unit 21 cooled by the refrigeration unit 30 can not only cool the space below the water tray 23 but also cool the inside of the ice making and storage compartment 12.

[0045] Furthermore, the ice maker 10 in this embodiment is controlled to tilt the water tray 23 downward from the closed position during the cooling operation. The cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21, which has been cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30, first cools the water tray 23 in the closed position. Then, as the ice-making unit 21 tilts from the closed position to the open position, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 not only flows to the underside of the water tray 23 but also flows over the water tray 23 and down into the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12. This not only suppresses the melting of ice in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12, but also cools the tank 24 and the upper surface of the drain pan 15 below the water tray 23, where the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 has difficulty flowing. In addition, since the water tray 23 is not maintained in the closed position during the cooling operation, it is possible to prevent the water remaining in the water tray 23 from freezing in the injection holes 23b.

[0046] Furthermore, a tank 24 capable of storing ice-making water is provided below the water tray 23, and a drain pan 15 that receives water discharged from the tank 24 is provided below the tank 24. When the cooling operation is performed, the water tray 23 is temporarily stopped from tilting between a closed position and an open position. Because the water tray 23 is temporarily stopped from tilting between a closed position and an open position when the cooling operation is performed, cold air from the ice-making unit 21 cooled by the refrigeration device can be sent to the bottom of the tank 24 and the top of the drain pan 15 below the water tray 23, and the bottom of the tank 24 and the top of the drain pan 15 can be properly cooled.

[0047] Furthermore, when the water tray 23 is tilted from a closed position to an open position while the cooling operation is being performed, the water supply valve 27b constituting the water supply means 27 is opened for a certain period of time to control the supply of water from the water supply pipe 27a to the upper side of the water tray 23. This allows the ice remaining and frozen in the spray holes 23b of the water tray 23 to melt, and also allows the temperature of the cold air flowing down from the ice making unit 21 to the upper side of the water tray 23 to be adjusted by the water flowing over the water tray 23, thereby suppressing so-called arching, which occurs when multiple ice cubes in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making and storage unit 12 fuse together due to the cold air from the cooling operation.

[0048] Furthermore, when the water tray 23 is in the closed position, the sprinkler pipe 27c installed at the water inlet of the water supply pipe 27a is cooled and kept hygienic. However, there is a risk that water may freeze and form ice at the sprinkler nozzles formed in the sprinkler pipe 27c, so by supplying sufficient water when sending water to the upper side of the water tray 23, the ice frozen at the sprinkler nozzles of the sprinkler pipe 27c can be melted. Alternatively, the water supply valve 27b may be controlled to open when the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position, which makes it easier to melt the ice frozen at the spray holes 23b and allows for effective temperature adjustment of the cold air flowing down into the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making and storage unit 12. Additionally, when the water tray 23 is tilted downward from the closed position, the water supply valve 27b may be opened for a few seconds (for example, 10 seconds) to allow water to flow into the water tray 23 at the start of the tilt, which enhances the temperature adjustment effect of the cold air flowing down from the ice making unit 21 to the upper side of the water tray 23.

[0049] In the embodiment described above, the water tray 23 is temporarily stopped from tilting between the closed position and the open position while the cooling operation is being performed. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the water tray 23 may be continuously stopped from tilting between the closed position and the open position (for example, an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position) during the cooling operation.

[0050] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the water tray 23 is controlled to tilt from the closed position to the open position during the cooling operation. However, in the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the water tray 23 is controlled to swing between the closed position and the open position during the cooling operation. When the water tray 23 is controlled to swing between the closed position and the open position, the cold air from the ice-making unit 21, which is cooled by the refrigeration device 30, can be distributed throughout the entire ice-making storage unit 12, including the upper and lower sides of the water tray 23, thereby enabling proper cooling of the entire ice-making storage unit 12. In addition, the cold air from the ice-making unit 21, which is cooled by the refrigeration device 30, can be prevented from flowing down to a specific location within the ice-making storage unit 12, thereby suppressing so-called arching, where multiple ice cubes in the ice-making storage unit 12 fuse together due to the cold air from the cooling operation.

[0051] The ice maker 10 of the above-described embodiment controls the water tray 23 to be tiltable between a closed position and an open position during the cooling operation, so that the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 flows to the areas of the ice-making storage unit 12 where cooling is most needed. Alternatively, the structure and control described below may be used to direct the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 to the areas of the ice-making storage unit 12 where cooling is most needed, or to improve the cooling efficiency inside the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0052] As shown in Figure 7, the ice-making and storage unit 12 is provided with a holder 62 on its side for storing a scoop 61 used to remove ice, and an inlet / outlet for the scoop 61 is formed on the front of the holder 62. The holder 62 has a vent 62a on the side facing the ice-making unit 21 and the water tray 23, and when the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 flows down from the top of the water tray 23, which is in an open position, the vent 62a is used to allow the cold air flowing down from the top of the water tray 23 to flow into the holder 62. In this way, by forming a vent 62a in the holder 62 that stores the scoop 61 inside the ice-making and storage unit 12 to allow the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 to flow in, the inside of the holder 62 and the scoop 61 can be kept hygienic.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, the tank 24 is provided with a drain guide 63 on the opening side of the water tray 23 (right side in Figure 8). The drain guide 63 guides the water flowing over the water tray 23 in the open position to the drain pan 15, and also guides the cold air flowing over the water tray 23 to the bottom of the tank 24 when the cooling operation is performed. The lower end of the drain guide 63 extends toward the back of the drain pan 15 (left side in Figure 8), and the cold air introduced by the drain guide 63 is sent through the bottom of the tank 24 to the back of the drain pan 15, cooling the bottom of the tank 24 and the back of the top surface of the drain pan 15 to maintain hygiene.

[0054] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the ice storage detector 42 is equipped with an ice storage detection plate 42a used to detect the accumulation of ice in the ice storage chamber 14. The ice storage detection plate 42a is tiltably suspended from the ice making chamber 13 to the ice storage chamber 14, and is positioned so as to allow cold air flowing over the open water tray 23 to pass through. By giving the ice storage detection plate 42a various shapes relative to the water tray 23, various flows can be imparted to the cold air flowing down over the water tray 23. As shown in Figure 9(a), when both sides of the ice storage detection plate 42a in the width direction are curved away from the water tray 23, the cold air flowing down over the water tray 23 can be more easily diffused to the surroundings by the ice storage detection plate 42a. As shown in Figure 9(b), when the widthwise sides of the ice storage detection plate 42a are curved further away from the water tray 23 than in Figure 9(a), the cold air flowing down the top of the water tray 23 can be directed to the back side of the ice storage detection plate 42a (opposite side of the water tray 23) while also being more easily diffused to the surroundings by the ice storage detection plate 42a.

[0055] As shown in Figure 9(c), when both sides of the ice storage detection plate 42a in the width direction are curved to bring them closer to the water tray 23, the ice storage detection plate 42a can return some of the cold air flowing down the top of the water tray 23 to the water tray 23, and also make it easier to diffuse some of the cold air to the surrounding area. As shown in Figure 9(d), when both sides of the ice storage detection plate 42a in the width direction are curved more gently toward the water tray 23 than in Figure 9(c), the ice storage detection plate 42a can make it easier to diffuse the cold air flowing down the top of the water tray 23 to the surrounding area.

[0056] As shown in Figure 10(a), when the upper and lower parts of the ice storage detection plate 42a are curved away from the water tray 23, the cold air flowing down the upper side of the water tray 23 can be directed to the back side of the ice storage detection plate 42a (opposite side of the water tray 23) while also being easily diffused to the surroundings by the ice storage detection plate 42a. As shown in Figure 10(b), when the upper and lower parts of the ice storage detection plate 42a are curved closer to the water tray 23, the cold air flowing down the upper side of the water tray 23 can be directed towards the water tray 23 while also being easily diffused to the surroundings by the ice storage detection plate 42a.

[0057] As shown in Figure 11(a), when the water tray 23 is in the open position, the open end of the water tray 23 is at approximately the same height as the upper end of the side wall 15b of the drain pan 15, and the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 flows over the top of the water tray 23 into the ice storage chamber 14. As shown in Figure 11(b), when performing a cooling operation, if the water tray 23 is tilted to open it further than the open position so that the open end of the water tray 23 is below the upper end of the side wall 15b of the drain pan 15, the cold air generated from the ice-making unit 21 passes over the water tray 23, and the cold air passing over the water tray 23 hits the side wall 15b of the drain pan 15, diffuses, and then flows into the ice storage chamber 14. By controlling it in this way, the cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 during the cooling operation can be diffused throughout the entire ice-making and ice storage chamber 12.

[0058] Since the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is located at a higher position than the ice-storage chamber 14, its temperature tends to be higher than that of the ice-storage chamber 14 during standby mode. The following describes the structure and control that suppresses the temperature rise inside the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. When the ice-storage detector 42 detects that the ice-storage chamber 14 is filled with ice and the unit switches to standby mode, the ice in the ice-making compartment 21a of the ice-making unit 21 has been removed by the de-icing operation. In contrast, when the ice-storage detector 42 detects that the ice-storage chamber 14 is filled with ice and the unit switches to standby mode, the ice-making operation is performed to produce ice in the ice-making compartment 21a of the ice-making unit 21, and the unit switches to standby mode without performing the de-icing operation. During standby mode, ice remains in the ice-making compartment 21a of the ice-making unit 21, and the inside of the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is kept at a low temperature by the ice remaining in the ice-making compartment 21a of the ice-making unit 21. By controlling it in this way, the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 can be kept at a low temperature during standby mode.

[0059] As shown in Figure 12, the water tray 23 has an extension portion 23c extending to the right on the open side opposite the tilting support portion (left side in Figure 12) (right side in Figure 12), and a recess portion 23d for retaining ice is formed in the extension portion 23c. When the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position during the de-icing operation after the ice-making operation and the ice is removed from the ice-making chamber 21a, some of the ice that slides down the upper side of the water tray 23 remains in the recess portion 23d. This allows the ice remaining in the recess portion 23d during standby mode to maintain a low temperature inside the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0060] As shown in Figure 13, a cold storage material 64 is provided above the ice-making unit 21. When ice-making or refrigeration operations are performed, the cold energy generated from the evaporator 34 of the refrigeration unit 30 cools the ice-making unit 21 and is stored in the cold storage material 64. This allows the cold energy generated from the cold storage material 64 during standby mode to keep the ice-making chamber 13 in the ice-making storage unit 12 at a low temperature.

[0061] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, a drain pan 15 is provided between the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice-storage chamber 14. The drain pan 15 has an ice discharge port 15a and partitions the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice-storage chamber 14. A partition 65 is provided at the discharge port 15a to allow ice to pass through, and the partition 65 covers the ice-making chamber 13 to prevent cold air from flowing out into the ice-storage chamber 14 while allowing ice to pass through.

[0062] As shown in Figure 14(a), the partition 65 comprises a fixed plate 65a and a movable plate 65b that is rotatably supported on the fixed plate 65a by a hinge. The movable plate 65b is biased by a spring member to be parallel to the fixed plate 65a, and the movable plate 65b rotates downward when ice falls to the upper side. During ice-making operation in ice-making mode or in standby mode, the movable plate 65b is positioned to extend from the fixed plate 65a and is closed to block the discharge port 15a, making it difficult for cold air in the ice-making chamber 13 to flow into the ice-storage chamber 14. In contrast, as shown in Figure 14(b), when ice is removed from the ice-making chamber 21a during de-icing operation, the movable plate 65b rotates downward and opens due to the weight of the ice, and closes again due to the biasing force of the spring member when the weight of the ice is no longer applied after the ice has passed. In this way, by covering the space between the ice-making compartment 13 and the ice-storage compartment 14 with a partition 65 that allows ice to pass through, it is possible to prevent the cold air inside the ice-making compartment 13 from flowing out into the ice-storage compartment 14, and thus maintain a low temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13.

[0063] As shown in Figure 15, a flexible, thin, resin plate may be used for the partition 65. As shown in Figure 15(a), when no weight of ice is applied to the partition 65, the partition 65 covers the outlet 15a between the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice-storage chamber 14. As shown in Figure 15(b), when the weight of ice is applied to the partition 65, the partition 65 flexes, allowing the ice to pass through the outlet 15a. Even in this case, by covering the space between the ice-making chamber 13 and the ice-storage chamber 14 with the partition 65 so that ice can pass through, it is possible to prevent the cold air inside the ice-making chamber 13 from flowing out into the ice-storage chamber 14, and thus maintain a low temperature inside the ice-making chamber 13.

[0064] The ice maker 10 in this embodiment is a so-called closed-cell type ice maker, but is not limited to this. The invention can also be applied to other ice makers, such as so-called open-cell type ice makers or vertical type ice makers that flow ice-making water down into a horizontally opening ice-making compartment, as long as the ice maker controls itself to perform ice-making operation in ice-making mode when the ice storage detector 42 does not detect that the ice storage compartment 14 is full of ice, and does not perform ice-making operation in standby mode when the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage compartment 14 is full of ice. In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, the ice-making storage compartment 12 is partitioned by a drain pan 15 to allow ice and cold air to pass between the ice-making compartment 13 and the ice storage compartment 14, but is not limited to this, and may not be partitioned by a drain pan 15. Furthermore, the descriptions of temperature and time in this embodiment are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these descriptions of temperature and time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0065] 10...Ice maker, 12...Ice storage unit, 15...Drain pan, 21...Ice making section, 21a...Ice making chamber, 23...Water tray, 23b...Injection port, 24...Tank, 27...Water supply means, 30...Refrigeration device, 42...Ice storage detector.

Claims

1. An ice-making unit that produces ice by freezing ice-making water in multiple ice-making chambers that open downwards, A refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making section, A water tray is supported below the ice-making section so as to be tiltable around a horizontal axis between a closed position that closes the opening of the ice-making chamber and an open position that opens the opening of the ice-making chamber by tilting downwards, An ice-making storage cabinet is provided, in which the ice-making unit is located at the top and a space is formed in which ice produced by the ice-making unit can be stored. The system includes an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage compartment is filled with ice, When performing the ice-making operation in the ice-making section, which involves freezing ice-making water to produce ice, the water tray is positioned in the closed position to block the opening of the ice-making chamber, and ice-making water is sprayed into the ice-making chamber from the spray holes provided in the water tray to freeze the ice-making water and form ice. When performing the de-icing operation after the ice-making operation, the water tray is tilted to the open position below the ice-making section to release the ice made in the ice-making chamber. If the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, the ice-making mode alternately executes the ice-making operation and the de-icing operation to produce ice to be stored in the ice-making storage compartment. When the ice storage detector detects that the ice-making and ice storage compartment is filled with ice, the system is controlled to enter standby mode, and the ice-making and de-icing operations are not performed, so that it does not produce ice to be stored in the ice-making and ice storage compartment. An ice maker capable of performing a cooling operation to cool the inside of the ice storage compartment by controlling the operation of the refrigeration device during the standby mode to cool the ice making section, An ice maker characterized in that the water tray is controlled to be tiltable between the closed position and the open position during the execution of the cooling operation.

2. In the ice maker according to claim 1, An ice maker characterized in that, during the execution of the cooling operation, the water tray is controlled to tilt downward from the closed position.

3. In the ice maker according to claim 1 or 2, Below the water tray is a tank capable of storing ice-making water, The tank is equipped with a drain pan that covers the lower side of the tank and receives the water discharged from the tank, An ice maker characterized in that the water tray is stopped by tilting between the closed position and the open position while the aforementioned cooling operation is being performed.

4. In the ice maker according to claim 1 or 2, Below the water tray is a tank capable of storing ice-making water, The system includes a water supply means that supplies water sent from a water source to the tank through the upper part of the water tray, An ice maker characterized in that when the water tray is tilted from the closed position to the open position, the water supply means is controlled to send water to the upper side of the water tray.

5. In the ice maker according to claim 1 or 2, An ice maker characterized in that, while the cooling operation is being performed, the water tray is controlled to swing between the closed position and the open position.

Images