Ice maker

Abstract

Without needing to install a separate temperature sensor for cooling operation inside the ice maker / storage compartment, the cooling operation is controlled according to the temperature inside the ice maker / storage compartment. [Solution] When the ice maker 10 does not detect that the ice storage compartment 12 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 42, it performs an ice-making operation in ice-making mode, where it freezes ice-making water in the ice-making section 21 cooled by the refrigeration device 30 to produce ice. When the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage compartment 12 is filled with ice, it enters standby mode and waits without performing an ice-making operation or producing ice. During standby mode, it can perform a cooling operation to cool the inside of the ice storage compartment 12 by controlling the operation of the refrigeration device 30 to cool the ice-making section 21. During standby mode, the temperature sensor 27c detects the temperature inside the ice storage compartment 12 without supplying water from the water supply means 27, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27c as the temperature inside the ice storage compartment 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker that manufactures ice in an ice-making section provided in an ice-making and ice-storing refrigerator. When the ice-making and ice-storing refrigerator is filled with ice, the ice maker waits for ice production in the ice-making section, and can perform a cold storage operation that cools the ice-making section with a refrigeration device to keep the inside of the ice-making and ice-storing refrigerator cold.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an ice maker that manufactures ice in an ice-making section provided in an ice-making chamber. This ice maker includes an ice-making section that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making section with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, water supply means that sends ice-making water to the ice-making section, an ice-making chamber in which the ice-making section is disposed, a storage ice chamber that is disposed below the ice-making chamber and stores the ice produced in the ice-making section, and a storage ice detector that detects that the storage ice chamber is filled with ice.

[0003] In this ice maker, an ice-making operation is performed in which ice-making water is sent out by the water supply means and frozen in the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device to produce ice, and a defrosting operation is performed in which hot gas is sent from the refrigeration device to the ice-making section to detach ice from the ice-making section. By alternately performing these operations, ice is produced and stored in the storage ice chamber. When the storage ice detector does not detect that the ice is full, the ice-making operation and the defrosting operation are alternately performed as the ice-making mode to control the production of ice stored in the storage ice chamber. When the storage ice detector detects that the ice is full, the ice-making operation and the defrosting operation are not performed as the storage ice mode (standby mode), and the ice maker waits without producing ice stored in the storage ice chamber.

[0004] This ice maker can perform a cold storage operation to suppress the rise in temperature inside the storage ice chamber during the storage ice mode. A storage ice chamber temperature sensor is provided inside the storage ice chamber, and the temperature inside the storage ice chamber is detected by the storage ice chamber temperature sensor. When in the storage ice mode, the operation of the refrigeration device is controlled based on the detected temperature of the storage ice chamber temperature sensor, and the inside of the storage ice chamber is cooled by the ice-making section to suppress the rise in temperature.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses an invention for an ice maker that produces ice in an ice-making section located within an ice-making chamber. This ice maker comprises an ice-making section that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making section with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, a water supply means that delivers ice-making water to the ice-making section, an ice-making chamber in which the ice-making section is located, an ice storage chamber located below the ice-making chamber for storing the ice produced in the ice-making section, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage chamber is filled with ice.

[0006] In this ice maker, ice is produced for storage in the ice storage chamber by alternately performing two operations: an ice-making operation, which involves sending ice-making water through a water supply means to an ice-making section cooled by a refrigeration device and freezing it; and a de-icing operation, which involves sending hot gas from the refrigeration device to the ice-making section to separate the ice from the ice-making section. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full, the machine is controlled to alternately perform 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, the machine is controlled to remain in storage mode (standby mode), not performing ice-making or de-icing operations, and does not produce ice for storage in the ice storage chamber.

[0007] This ice maker is capable of performing a cooling operation to suppress the rise in temperature inside the ice-making chamber during ice storage mode. An ice-making chamber temperature sensor is installed inside the ice-making chamber, and the temperature inside the ice-making chamber is detected by this sensor. When in ice storage mode, the operation of the refrigeration system is controlled based on the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor, and the ice-making chamber is cooled by the ice-making unit to suppress the rise in temperature. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-032062 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2024-054945 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In the ice maker described in Patent Document 1, the operation of the refrigeration system is controlled based on an ice storage chamber temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the ice storage chamber (ice making storage compartment), and the ice storage chamber temperature sensor is located inside the ice storage chamber. In the ice maker described in Patent Document 2, the operation of the refrigeration system is controlled based on an ice making chamber temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside the ice making chamber (ice making storage compartment), and the ice making chamber temperature sensor is located inside the ice making compartment. In the ice makers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the cost is high because a separate temperature sensor is provided in the ice storage chamber or ice making compartment in order to perform the cooling operation. The present invention aims to control the cooling operation according to the temperature inside the ice making storage compartment without providing a separate temperature sensor for the cooling operation inside the ice making storage compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, the present invention comprises an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making unit, a water supply means capable of supplying water from a water source as ice-making water, an ice-making storage unit in which the ice-making unit is disposed above and which forms a space capable of storing ice produced in the ice-making unit, and an ice storage detector that detects when the ice-making storage unit is filled with ice. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage unit is filled with ice, the system controls the system to perform an ice-making operation in ice-making mode, in which water supplied by the water supply means is cooled by the refrigeration device and frozen in the ice-making unit to produce ice to be stored in the ice-making storage unit, and when the ice storage detector detects that the ice-making storage unit is filled with ice... This ice maker is characterized in that, upon detecting that an ice-making operation has been performed, it is controlled to enter a standby mode and not perform ice-making operations, remaining in standby mode without producing ice to be stored in the ice-making storage compartment, 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 inside of the ice-making storage compartment. The ice-making storage compartment is equipped with a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of water supplied from a water supply means, and during standby mode, the temperature sensor detects the temperature inside the ice-making storage compartment when water is not supplied from the water supply means, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor as the temperature inside the ice-making storage compartment.

[0011] In the ice maker configured as described above, a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of water supplied from the water supply means is provided inside the ice storage compartment. In standby mode, when no water is supplied from the water supply means, the temperature sensor detects the temperature inside the ice storage compartment, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. Since the temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of water supplied from the water supply means is used to detect the temperature inside the ice storage compartment when no water is supplied from the water supply means in standby mode, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the cooling operation can be controlled according to the temperature inside the ice storage compartment without having to provide a separate temperature sensor for cooling operation inside the ice storage compartment.

[0012] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ice-making unit having a plurality of ice-making chambers that open downwards and in which ice-making water is frozen to produce ice; a refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making unit; a water tray that is supported below the ice-making unit so as to be able to tilt around a horizontal axis between a closed position that closes the opening of the ice-making chambers and an open position that opens the opening of the ice-making chambers by tilting downwards, and which can open and close the opening of the ice-making chambers; a tank provided below the water tray that can store water; a water supply means that can supply water from a water source as ice-making water into the tank from above the water tray; and the ice-making unit is located above The system includes an ice-making storage compartment, which is installed in the ice-making section and forms a space for storing ice produced in the ice-making section; an ice storage detector that detects when the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice; and a temperature sensor that can detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means inside the ice-making storage compartment. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, the system enters ice-making mode, with the water tray in the closed position to block the opening of the ice-making chamber, and water supplied from the water supply means injects into the ice-making chamber from a nozzle provided in the water tray to freeze the ice inside the ice-making chamber. The system is designed to form ice, and when de-icing is performed after the ice-making operation, the water tray is tilted to an open position below the ice-making section, releasing the ice produced in the ice-making chamber and allowing it to slide over the top of the water tray and be stored in the ice-making storage compartment. The temperature of the water supplied to the tank by the water supply means during the ice-making operation is detected by a temperature sensor, and during the de-icing operation, water is supplied to the top of the water tray for a time based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the ice-making operation to melt any remaining ice on top of the water tray. An ice storage detector detects when the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice. The present invention provides an ice maker that, when it detects a problem, is controlled to enter a standby mode and not perform ice-making operations, remaining in standby mode without producing ice to be stored in the ice-making storage compartment, and during standby mode, controls the operation of the refrigeration device to cool the ice-making section, thereby enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice-making storage compartment, characterized in that, during standby mode, water is not supplied from the water supply means, and the temperature inside the ice-making storage compartment is detected by a temperature sensor, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor as the temperature inside the ice-making storage compartment.

[0013] In the ice maker configured as described above, the temperature inside the ice storage compartment is detected by a temperature sensor when water is not supplied from the water supply means during standby mode, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor as the temperature inside the ice storage compartment. A temperature sensor is installed inside the ice storage compartment to detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means in order to determine the time for supplying water from the water supply means when melting the remaining ice on the upper part of the water tray during de-icing operation. The temperature inside the ice storage compartment is detected when water is not supplied from the water supply means during standby mode, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor as the temperature inside the ice storage compartment. Therefore, the cooling operation can be controlled according to the temperature inside the ice storage compartment without having to install a separate temperature sensor for cooling operation inside the ice storage compartment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [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 ice-making mode and standby mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] An embodiment of the ice maker of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the ice maker 10 of the present invention is a so-called closed-cell type ice maker, and is equipped with an ice-making storage compartment 12 and a machine room 17 within a housing 11. The ice-making storage compartment 12 is equipped with an ice-making chamber 13 at the top where the ice-making mechanism 20 and the ice-making unit 21 are located to produce ice, and an ice-storage chamber 14 below the ice-making chamber 13 for storing the ice produced by the ice-making unit 21. The inside of the ice-making storage compartment 12 is partitioned by a drain pan (partition) 15 to allow ice and cold air to pass through. An insulating member (not shown) is provided on the outer surface of the ice-making storage compartment 12, and the ice-making storage compartment 12 is covered in an insulating state by the insulating member.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the front of the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice-making and ice storage unit 12 has two outlets 12a and 12b, which are openings used for taking out ice, and the outlets 12a and 12b are closed by a door 16 that can be opened and closed. In this embodiment, the door 16 comprises a first door 16a that can be opened and closed to close the upper part of the upper outlet 12a, and a second door 16b that can be opened and closed to close the lower part of the lower outlet 12b. The first door 16a uses two sliding doors and is supported on the upper front of the ice storage chamber 14 so as to be movable from side to side. The second door 16b uses a hinged door and its lower end is supported on the lower front of the ice storage chamber 14 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. The machine room 17 is located on the upper part of the housing 11, adjacent to the ice-making chamber 13 in the horizontal direction, and contains mechanical parts such as the refrigeration device 30, excluding the evaporator 34 of the ice-making mechanism 20. In Figure 1, the ice in the ice storage chamber 14 is shown by a dashed line.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] To prevent the compressor 31 from repeating startup and shutdown (operation and operation stop) in a short period of time, a minimum operation time (3 minutes in this embodiment) and a minimum stop time (3 minutes in this embodiment) are set. For this reason, in the cold storage operation described later, the cold storage operation time for cooling and storing the refrigeration device 30 by operating the refrigeration device 30 in accordance with the minimum operation time and the minimum stop time of the compressor 31 and the cold storage standby time for waiting without operating the refrigeration device 30 are set. A condenser fan 32a is provided in the condenser 32, and the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 is cooled by the air blown by the condenser fan 32a. A condenser temperature sensor 32b is provided in the condenser 32, and the condenser temperature sensor 32b detects the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 and is also used to detect the temperature in the machine room 17 described later. The evaporator 34 uses a pipe member with high thermal conductivity and is arranged in a meandering shape above the ice making section 21.

[0020] Further, the refrigeration device 30 includes 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 and guides 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 can open and close the hot gas pipe 35. When the refrigeration device 30 is operated for heating, the hot gas sent out 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 when passing through the evaporator 34. Thus, the ice making section 21 is cooled by the refrigerant circulating by the cooling operation of the refrigeration device 30 evaporating in the evaporator 34, and is heated by the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34 by the heating operation of the refrigeration device 30.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, a water supply means 22 for sending out the ice-making water is provided below the ice-making section 21. The water supply means 22 includes a water tray 23 that opens and closes the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making section 21, a tank 24 that stores the ice-making water below the water tray 23, and a water pump 25 that sends the ice-making water in the tank 24 to the ice-making section 21. The water tray 23, the tank 24, and the water pump 25 are arranged in the ice-making chamber 13 in the same manner as the ice-making section 21. The water tray 23 is pivotally supported so as to be tiltable about a horizontal axis between a closed position (shown by the solid line in Fig. 2) that closes the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a and an open position (shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 2) that opens the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a. An opening and closing mechanism 26 is provided on the water tray 23, and the water tray 23 tilts between the closed position and the open position by the drive of the actuator motor 26a of the opening and closing mechanism 26 to open and close the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a. As shown in Fig. 3, an ice-making water passage 23a for sending the ice-making water sent from the tank 24 to each ice-making chamber 21a is formed in the water tray 23, and injection holes 23b for injecting the ice-making water from the ice-making water passage 23a into each ice-making chamber 21a are formed on the upper surface of the water tray 23.

[0022] 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 water supply temperature sensor (temperature sensor) 27c interposed in the water supply pipe 27a that can detect the temperature of the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a. The water supply pipe 27a extends from inside the housing 11 into the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12, and the water inlet at the end of the water supply pipe 27a is located above the water tray 23. The water supply pipe 27a is formed in a roughly U-shape, and after hanging down from approximately the same height as the ice-making unit 21 at the top of the ice-making chamber 13 to approximately the same height as the tank 24 at the bottom of the ice-making chamber 13, it extends again above the water tray 23 at approximately the same height as the ice-making unit 21. The temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 is lower at the bottom than at the top, and the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a is easily cooled inside the ice-making compartment 13 by temporarily passing from the top to the bottom. Alternatively, the water supply pipe 27a may be made to meander from side to side as it proceeds downward inside the ice-making compartment 13, so that the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a is cooled inside the ice-making compartment 13 by meandering from side to side as it proceeds downward. The water supply valve 27b opens and closes the water inside the water supply pipe 27a, and water from the water source is supplied to the tank 24 through the water supply pipe 27a by opening the water supply valve 27b.

[0023] The water supply temperature sensor 27c is capable of detecting the temperature of water passing through the water supply pipe 27a, as well as detecting the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 when no water is passing through the water supply pipe 27a. For this reason, the water supply temperature sensor 27c is used to detect the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 in order to perform the standby mode cooling operation described later. In the standby mode cooling operation, it is preferable that the locations where the water tray 23 and tank 24 are installed inside the ice-making compartment 13 are sufficiently cooled, and the water supply temperature sensor 27c is fixed to the lower part of the U-shaped water supply pipe 27a, which is located at the bottom of the ice-making compartment 13 where the water tray 23 and tank 24 are installed. In addition, a heat transfer plate 27d made of a copper plate (metal plate) with high thermal conductivity is provided at the lower part of the water supply pipe 27a, and the water supply temperature sensor 27c is fixed to the water supply pipe 27a via the heat transfer plate 27d. The heat transfer plate 27d is fixed to the water supply pipe 27a by welding in order to increase thermal conductivity. The heat transfer plate 27d facilitates the transfer of heat from the lower part of the ice-making compartment 13 to the water supply temperature sensor 27c, allowing the water supply temperature sensor 27c to detect the temperature of the lower part of the ice-making compartment 13 in a short time thanks to the heat transfer plate 27d. The water supply temperature sensor 27c is not limited to being located at the bottom of the water supply pipe 27a in the lower part of the ice-making compartment 13; it may also be located at the top of the water supply pipe 27a in the upper part of the ice-making compartment 13. When the water supply temperature sensor 27c is located at the top of the water supply pipe 27a in the upper part of the ice-making compartment 13, the temperature of the lower part of the ice-making compartment 13 where the water tray 23 and tank 24 are located can be detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c by subtracting the expected temperature difference between the lower and upper parts of the ice-making compartment 13 from the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c.

[0024] Water from the water source is supplied to the upper side of the water tray 23 through the water supply pipe 27a by opening the water supply valve 27b, and the water supplied to the upper side of the water tray 24 is supplied into the tank 24 through a return port (not shown) formed in the water tray 23. The ice-making water in the tank 24 is sent to the ice-making water passage 23a of the water tray 23 by the water supply pump 25, and the ice-making water sent to the ice-making water passage 23a is injected from the injection hole 23b into the ice-making chamber 21a. The injected ice-making water is cooled in the ice-making chamber 21a and then returns to the tank 24 through the return port, and the ice-making water is cooled as it circulates between the tank 24 and the ice-making chamber 21a, and freezes into ice in the ice-making chamber 21a.

[0025] 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 in the drain pan 15, and in this embodiment, it is formed at a position to the right of the center of the ice-making chamber 13 in the left-right direction, and spaced apart from the front and rear of the ice-making chamber 13.

[0026] 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.

[0027] The ice maker 10 is equipped with a control device 50, which, as shown in Figure 4, is connected to the water supply pump 25, the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, the water supply valve 27b, the water supply temperature sensor 27c, the compressor 31, the condenser fan 32a, the condenser temperature sensor 32b, the hot gas valve 36, the ice making section temperature sensor 41, and the ice storage detector 42. 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 the ice making section 21 freezes the ice making water to produce ice, and a de-icing operation, in which the ice frozen in the ice making section 21 is detached and removed.

[0028] 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. During this standby mode, the control device 50 controls the operation of the refrigeration unit 30 to enable a cooling operation that cools the inside of the ice-making and ice-storage unit 12.

[0029] The ice-making operation involves closing the water tray 23 together with the tank 24, opening the water supply valve 27b to supply water from the water source through the water supply pipe 27a into the tank 24 from the top of the water tray 23, while simultaneously running the refrigeration device 30 to cool the ice-making unit 21. The water in the tank 24 is then injected by the water supply pump 25 through 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 the water freezes in the ice-making chamber 21a to produce ice. When the water supply valve 27b is opened during the ice-making operation to allow water from the water source to pass through the water supply pipe 27a, the water supply temperature sensor 27c detects the temperature of the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a at the time the water supply is completed, and the water supply temperature sensor 27c can accurately detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water source.

[0030] The de-icing operation involves tilting the water tray 23 to the open position and heating the refrigeration unit 30 to heat the ice-making unit 21, thereby melting the ice produced in the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21 at the contact surface with the ice-making chamber 21a and separating it from the ice-making chamber 21a. Furthermore, when the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position during the de-icing operation, the water supply valve 27b is opened for an opening time determined based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c detected during the water supply for the ice-making operation, allowing water from the water source to flow over the water tray 23 through the water supply pipe 27a. Any remaining ice in the water tray 23 during the ice-making operation is melted by the water flowing over the water tray 23. In this embodiment, if the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c during the ice-making operation is lower than 13°C, it is necessary to flow a large amount of water into the water tray 23 to melt the remaining ice, so the water supply valve 27b is opened for 15 seconds. If the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c during the ice-making operation is 13°C or higher, it is possible to melt the remaining ice by flowing a small amount of water into the water tray 23, so the water supply valve 27b is opened for 6 seconds. Thus, the water supply temperature sensor 27c is used to detect the temperature of the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a during the ice-making operation in order to determine the amount of water needed to melt the remaining ice on the upper side of the water tray 23 during the de-icing operation.

[0031] 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.

[0032] The purpose of the cooling operation is to maintain a low temperature inside the ice-making and ice-storage compartment 12, so it is necessary to detect the temperature inside the ice-making and ice-storage compartment 12 in order to control the cooling operation. As described above, the water supply temperature sensor 27c is capable of detecting the temperature of water passing through the water supply pipe 27a, as well as the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making and ice-storage compartment 12 when no water is passing through the water supply pipe 27a. For this reason, the system is controlled to execute the cooling operation based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is detected as the temperature inside the ice-making and ice-storage compartment 12 when no water is supplied from the water supply means 27 during standby mode.

[0033] Furthermore, during de-icing operation, water from the water source is circulated over the top of the water tray 23 through the water supply pipe 27a to melt the remaining ice on the upper side of the water tray 23, which is in the open position. However, at the start of standby mode, not much time has passed since the water from the water source circulated through the water supply pipe 27a, so there is a risk that the water supply temperature sensor 27c may not be able to detect the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. For this reason, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of standby mode (3 to 10 minutes in this embodiment), the temperature of the water supply pipe 27a is considered to be approximately the same as the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12, and the system is controlled to perform the cooling operation based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c after the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of standby mode. Alternatively, when the temperature change amount of the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c becomes smaller than a predetermined value at the start of standby mode, the temperature of the water supply pipe 27a may be considered to be approximately the same as the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. Furthermore, if the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c is unlikely to be approximately the same as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13, the temperature obtained by subtracting a correction value (for example, 2°C) from the detected temperature after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of standby mode may be considered to be approximately the same as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13.

[0034] Specifically, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of standby mode (3 to 10 minutes in this embodiment), the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c during standby mode is detected as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. When the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c becomes equal to or above the set cooling temperature, the system is controlled to start the cooling operation. The cooling operation is also controlled to be performed for a cooling operation time (for example, 3 to 5 minutes) that is set to be equal to or above the minimum operating time of the compressor 31. The temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12 decreases due to the cooling operation, and gradually rises after the cooling operation is stopped. During standby mode, the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c is detected as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. When the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c becomes equal to or above the set cooling temperature again, the system is controlled to start the cooling operation. In this way, by controlling the system to perform a cooling operation based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is detected as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 during standby mode, the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria is suppressed inside the ice-making storage unit 12, making it hygienic and preventing the ice from melting.

[0035] 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, the control device 50 tilts the water tray 23 to the closed position using the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, and opens the water supply valve 27b for a predetermined time according to the capacity of the tank 24, thereby storing the amount of ice-making water necessary to form ice in the ice-making unit 21 in the tank 24. Furthermore, when the water supply valve 27b is opened to allow water from the water source to pass through the water supply pipe 27a during ice-making operation, the water supply temperature sensor 27c detects the temperature of the water passing through the water supply pipe 27a.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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 to heat the refrigeration device 30, and the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26 tilts the water tray 23 to the open position. When the water tray 23 is tilted to the open position during the de-icing operation, the water supply valve 27b is opened for an opening time based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c during the water supply operation, allowing water from the water source to flow over the top of the water tray 23 through the water supply pipe 27a, thereby melting any remaining ice in the water tray 23 during the ice-making operation.

[0038] When the refrigeration unit 30 is operated in heating mode, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided through the hot gas pipe 35 to the evaporator 34, heating each ice-making chamber 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 ice-making chamber 21a detaches and slides down the top surface of the water tray 23, falling into the ice storage chamber 14 through the discharge port 15a. As the temperature of the ice-making unit 21 gradually rises due to the detachment of ice, when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 reaches or exceeds the de-icing completion temperature, the control device 50 detects that there is no ice remaining in the ice-making chambers 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 control device 50 has not detected that the ice storage chamber 14 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 42, it will again execute the ice-making program that alternately performs the ice-making operation and de-icing operation described above. In this way, the control device 50 controls the ice-making program to alternately repeat the ice-making operation and de-icing operation in ice-making mode until it detects that the ice storage chamber 14 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 42.

[0039] When the ice-making program is controlled to alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations, the ice-making compartment 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is filled with ice produced by the ice-making unit 21. As shown in Figure 5, 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 it to remain in standby mode without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations. In standby mode, the control device 50 enables a cooling operation to cool the inside of the ice-making compartment 13, and the inside of the ice-making compartment 13 is cooled by the ice-making unit 21, which is cooled by the cooling operation (operation) of the refrigeration unit 30 when the cooling operation is performed.

[0040] When the control device 50 transitions from ice-making mode to standby mode, it waits for a predetermined time (3 to 10 minutes in this embodiment) to enable the water supply temperature sensor 27c to detect the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. After the predetermined time has elapsed, the control device 50 detects the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c as the temperature inside the ice-making chamber 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12, and controls the system to execute a cooling operation when the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature (11°C in this embodiment). When the cooling operation of the refrigeration unit 30 is performed in the cooling operation, the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is liquefied in the condenser 32 to become liquefied refrigerant, the liquefied refrigerant expands in the expansion valve 33 to become low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, the 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. The cold air generated in the ice-making unit 21 cools the inside of the ice-making chamber 13 as it flows down into the ice-storage chamber 14.

[0041] The cooling operation is controlled to run for a cooling operation time (for example, 3 to 5 minutes) that is set to be longer than the minimum operating time of the compressor 31. The temperature inside the ice-making storage compartment 12 gradually rises after the cooling operation, and the system controls the system to run the cooling operation when the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c reaches or exceeds the set cooling temperature (11°C in this embodiment) after the minimum stop time of the compressor 31 has elapsed. In this way, by controlling the system to run the cooling operation based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is detected as the temperature of the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage compartment 12 during standby mode, the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria inside the ice-making storage compartment 12 is suppressed, making it hygienic and preventing the ice from melting.

[0042] In the ice maker 10 configured as described above, when the ice storage detector 42 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice maker storage unit 12 is filled with ice, the machine is controlled to perform an ice-making operation in ice-making mode, where water supplied by the water supply means 27 is frozen in the ice-making unit 21 cooled by the refrigeration device 30 to produce ice for storage in the ice maker storage unit 12. When the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice maker storage unit 12 is filled with ice, the machine is controlled to standby mode, where the machine is not controlled to perform an ice-making operation, and waits without producing ice for storage in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice maker storage unit 12. During standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to cool the ice-making unit 21, thereby enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice maker storage unit 12.

[0043] In this ice maker 10, a water supply temperature sensor (temperature sensor) 27c is provided inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12, which is capable of detecting the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means 27. In standby mode, when no water is supplied from the water supply means 27, the temperature sensor 27c is used to detect the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is detected as the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12. By using a water supply temperature sensor 27c that can detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means 27, the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is detected when no water is supplied from the water supply means 27 during standby mode. The cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is the temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12. Therefore, the cooling operation can be controlled according to the temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12 without having to install a separate temperature sensor for the cooling operation inside the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0044] Furthermore, in the ice maker 10 configured as described above, when the ice storage detector 42 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making storage cabinet 12 is filled with ice, the water tray 23 is closed to block the opening of the ice making chamber 21a, and water supplied by the water supply means 27 from the tank 24 is sprayed into the ice making chamber 21a from the nozzle 23a provided on the water tray 23 to freeze and form ice. When de-icing is performed after the ice making operation, the water tray The 23 is tilted to an open position below the ice-making unit 21, allowing the ice produced in the ice-making chamber 21a to detach and slide over the top of the water tray 23 to be stored in the ice-making storage chamber 14 of the ice-making storage unit 12. The water temperature sensor 27c detects the temperature of the water supplied to the tank 24 by the water supply means 27 during ice-making operation, and during de-icing operation, water is supplied to the top of the water tray 23 for a time based on the temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 27c during ice-making operation to melt any remaining ice on the top of the water tray 23.

[0045] In this ice maker 10, when the ice storage detector 42 detects that the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making and storage cabinet 12 is filled with ice, it is controlled to enter standby mode and not perform ice making operations, remaining on standby without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 14 of the ice making and storage cabinet 12. During standby mode, the operation of the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to cool the ice making unit 21, thereby enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice making and storage cabinet 12. In this ice maker 10, while in standby mode, the water supply temperature sensor 27c detects the temperature inside the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making and storage cabinet 12 without supplying water from the water supply means 27, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c as the temperature inside the ice making chamber 13 of the ice making and storage cabinet 12. By using a water supply temperature sensor 27c that can detect the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means 27, the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 13 of the ice-making storage unit 12 is detected when no water is supplied from the water supply means 27 during standby mode. The cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the water supply temperature sensor 27c, which is the temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12. Therefore, the cooling operation can be controlled according to the temperature inside the ice-making storage unit 12 without having to install a separate temperature sensor for the cooling operation inside the ice-making storage unit 12.

[0046] 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]

[0047] 10...Ice maker, 12...Ice storage unit, 21...Ice making section, 21a...Ice making chamber, 23...Water tray, 24...Tank, 27...Water supply means, 27c...Temperature sensor (water supply temperature sensor), 30...Refrigeration device, 42...Ice storage detector.

Claims

1. The ice-making section freezes ice-making water to produce ice, A refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making section, A water supply means capable of supplying water from a water source as ice-making water, 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 the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, the system controls the system to perform an ice-making operation in which water supplied by the water supply means is frozen in the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device to produce ice for storage in the ice-making storage compartment. When the ice storage detector detects that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, it controls the system to enter standby mode and does not perform the ice-making operation, remaining in standby mode without producing ice to store in the ice-making 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, The ice-making and ice storage facility is equipped with a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means. An ice maker characterized in that, during the standby mode, water is not supplied from the water supply means, and the temperature sensor detects the temperature inside the ice making and storage compartment, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, which is detected as the temperature inside the ice making and storage compartment.

2. An ice-making unit having multiple ice-making chambers that open downwards, and in these ice-making chambers, ice-making water is frozen to produce ice, A refrigeration device for cooling the ice-making section, A water tray is supported below the ice-making section so as to be able to tilt 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 downward, thereby allowing the opening of the ice-making chamber to be opened and closed. A tank capable of storing water is provided below the water tray, A water supply means capable of supplying water from a water source to the tank from above the water tray as ice-making water, 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. An ice storage detector that detects when the ice storage compartment is filled with ice, The ice-making storage unit is equipped with a temperature sensor capable of detecting the temperature of the water supplied from the water supply means, When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, the ice-making mode is set to the closed position of the water tray, blocking the opening of the ice-making chamber, and water supplied by the water supply means from the tank is sprayed into the ice-making chamber from a nozzle provided in the water tray to freeze and form ice inside the ice-making chamber. When performing the de-icing operation after the ice-making operation, the water tray is tilted to the open position below the ice-making unit, and the ice produced in the ice-making chamber is released and slid over the top of the water tray to be stored in the ice-making storage compartment. During the ice-making operation, the temperature of the water supplied to the tank by the water supply means is detected by the temperature sensor, and during the de-icing operation, water is supplied to the upper side of the water tray for a time based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor during the ice-making operation to melt any remaining ice on the upper side of the water tray. When the ice storage detector detects that the ice-making storage compartment is filled with ice, it controls the system to enter standby mode and does not perform the ice-making operation, remaining in standby mode without producing ice to store in the ice-making 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, during the standby mode, water is not supplied from the water supply means, and the temperature sensor detects the temperature inside the ice making and storage compartment, and the cooling operation is controlled based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, which is detected as the temperature inside the ice making and storage compartment.

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