Ice maker

Abstract

In a gravity-flow type ice maker, which is configured to immediately discharge ice that has detached from the ice-making surface to the outside through a discharge port, the hygiene of the water storage tank can be easily maintained. [Solution] An ice maker that houses an ice-making section and a water-discharging section, and discharges ice produced by the ice-making section to the outside from a discharge port 10a in the side wall section 10b, is equipped with a water storage tank 34 that stores water to be sent to the water-discharging section and also collects water that did not freeze in the ice-making section, the water storage tank 34 having a water storage section 84 which is the main part that stores water, an overflow gate 90 which defines the water level stored in the water storage section 84, a first drainage section 94 which drains water that exceeds the overflow gate 90, and a second drainage section 100 which drains water from the bottom of the water storage section 84, the second drainage section 100 is configured to have an openable and closable drainage port 100a in the side wall section 10b which is equipped with a discharge port 10a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker.

Background Art

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an ice maker, so-called a flow-down type ice maker, which includes an ice-making part that freezes water on an ice-making surface to generate ice, and a water-discharging part arranged above the ice-making part and discharging water toward the ice-making surface. Further, the following Patent Document 2 discloses an auger type ice maker configured such that a storage ice box can be attached thereto, that is, an auger type ice maker configured to discharge the generated ice from a discharge port to the storage ice box. The applicant of the present application is considering a flow-down type ice maker configured such that the ice generated in the ice-making part is discharged to the outside from the discharge port immediately after being detached from the ice-making surface for the purpose of miniaturization of the ice maker.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In typical gravity-flow ice makers, the water is circulated by recovering any water that does not freeze after flowing down the ice-making surface and sending it back to the discharge section. An overflow gate is installed in the reservoir to prevent the water level from exceeding a certain point, and the water that overflows from this gate is drained. Therefore, when ice-making is stopped, the water stored in the reservoir does not circulate, and if a considerable amount of time has passed before ice-making is restarted, the water stored in the reservoir may not be hygienically sufficient. In such cases, it is necessary to replace the water in the reservoir or to clean the reservoir. Furthermore, in recent years, it has become common for users to clean the reservoir tank (with chemicals), and a drainage section that only drains water that overflows the gate presents a problem in the above-mentioned cases, as it is time-consuming.

[0005] This invention was made in view of such circumstances, and aims to provide a way to easily maintain the hygiene of the water storage tank in a drop-flow type ice maker that immediately discharges ice detached from the ice-making surface to the outside through a discharge port. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, the ice maker disclosed in this application has the following configuration. (1) An ice-making unit that freezes water on an ice-making surface to produce ice, A water discharge unit is positioned above the ice-making unit and discharges water toward the ice-making surface, A housing that houses the ice-making unit and the water-discharging unit, and has a discharge port for discharging the ice produced by the ice-making unit to the outside from the side wall, A water storage tank for storing water to be sent to the water discharge section and for recovering water that did not freeze in the ice-making section, A pump device that sends water from the water storage tank to the water discharge section to circulate the water, Equipped with, The water storage tank comprises a water storage section that serves as the main body for storing water, an overflow gate that defines the water level stored in the water storage section, a first drainage section for draining water that exceeds the overflow gate, and a second drainage section for draining water from the bottom of the water storage section. The ice maker is characterized in that the second drain section has an openable and closable drain port in the side wall portion having the discharge port.

[0007] The ice maker disclosed in this application is a so-called gravity-flow type ice maker, and is based on the premise that the ice produced in the ice-making section is immediately discharged to the outside from the discharge port after it leaves the ice-making surface. Furthermore, the ice maker disclosed in this application is configured to circulate water by recovering the water that did not freeze from the ice-making water that flows down the ice-making surface into a water storage tank and sending it back to the discharge section by a pump. During ice-making operation, only the water that overflows from the overflow gate of the water storage section is discharged from the first drainage section. Therefore, when ice-making operation is stopped, the water stored in the water storage section does not circulate. And if a considerable amount of time has passed before ice-making operation is restarted, the water stored in the water storage section may not be hygienically sufficient. The ice maker disclosed in this application may be positioned so that sides other than the discharge port face other equipment or walls, but the side on which the discharge port is provided (side wall) is not blocked. The ice maker disclosed in this application allows for easy draining of water from the water storage section and discharge of cleaning water through a drain port of a second drain section located on the same surface as the discharge port. Therefore, the ice maker disclosed in this application can easily maintain the hygiene of the water storage tank.

[0008] Furthermore, the ice maker with the above configuration can be made into various forms as shown below.

[0009] (2) The ice maker according to item (1), wherein the overflow gate and the first drain section are provided on the opposite side of the ice making section from the discharge port.

[0010] (3) The ice maker according to item (1) or (2), further comprising a plug for blocking the drain outlet.

[0011] (4) The ice maker according to any one of paragraphs (1) to (3), wherein the water storage tank has a partition wall that is higher than the height of the overflow gate and surrounds the overflow gate, separating it from the water storage section, and a communication hole provided at the lower end of the partition wall that communicates with the water storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a downward-flow type ice maker configured to immediately discharge ice separated from an ice-making surface to the outside through a discharge port, the hygiene of a water storage tank can be easily maintained.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] Perspective view of an ice-making device mainly including an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Perspective view of the ice maker [Figure 3] Front cross-sectional view of the ice maker [Figure 4] Side cross-sectional view of the ice maker [Figure 5] Side view showing a state where the exterior on the right side is removed [Figure 6] Plan view showing a state where the exterior on the top surface side is removed [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing a refrigeration circuit and an ice-making water flow path [Figure 8] Enlarged view showing a main part of FIG. 3 and showing a state where ice is generated on an ice-making plate [Figure 9] Diagram showing a state where the generated plate-shaped connected ice is separated from the ice-making plate [Figure 10] Perspective view showing a state where side wall members and ceiling members of an ice-making unit are removed [Figure 11] Diagram showing the flow of scattered ice-making water [Figure 12] Diagram showing a state where the generated plate-shaped connected ice is discharged to the outside [Figure 13] Diagram showing a state where a row of connected ice is discharged to the outside [Figure 14] Front cross-sectional view showing a water splash prevention member [Figure 15] Perspective view showing the ice-making surface side of the water splash prevention member [Figure 16] Plan cross-sectional view showing the relationship between an ice guide and a separator in a first posture [Figure 17] Plan cross-sectional view showing an enlarged side surface side of the separator [Figure 18]Perspective view of the main case member having a water storage tank [Figure 19] Plan view of the main case component [Figure 20] Cross-sectional view showing the first drainage section (XX-XX section in Figure 19) [Figure 21] Cross-sectional view showing the second drainage section (XXI-XXI section in Figure 19) [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] The ice maker 10, which is an embodiment of the present invention, is a component of the ice-making device 12 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment does not have an ice storage section for storing the ice produced, and is configured to release the ice produced to the outside from the discharge port 10a immediately after ice production. Therefore, the ice-making device 12 is configured to include, in addition to the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, an ice storage compartment 14 that receives and stores the ice released to the outside from the ice maker 10, and a hood 16 that covers the top of the ice storage compartment 14 and the discharge port 10a of the ice maker 10. It should be noted that the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is not limited to being used in conjunction with a dedicated container (ice storage compartment 14) for the ice maker 10, as in the ice-making device 12, and can also be used so that the ice is released into an unconnected container provided by the user. In other words, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment does not have an ice storage compartment, and the ice produced is discharged to the outside through a discharge port 10a provided on the side. As a result, it has a relatively smaller width (left-right direction when viewed from the front) compared to conventional ice makers, and is thinner.

[0015] The basic configuration of the ice maker 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 9. In some parts of the drawings, the symbols F, B, L, R, U, and D are used to indicate direction, representing the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom sides, respectively, when the ice maker 10 is viewed from the front.

[0016] <Basic configuration of an ice maker> The ice maker 10 of this embodiment is a so-called gravity-flow type ice maker that produces ice by flowing water down an ice-making plate 20, which serves as the ice-making section. The ice maker 10 of this embodiment comprises an ice-making unit 22 which is the main unit for ice making and includes the ice-making plate 20, a cooling device 24 for cooling the ice-making plate 20, a control device 26 for controlling the operation of each component constituting the ice-making unit 22 and the cooling device 24, and a housing 28 which houses the ice-making unit 22, the cooling device 24, and the control device 26. The ice-making unit 22 is an insulated box in which the components including the ice-making plate 20 are housed within an ice-making case (casing) 30 which forms an ice-making chamber R1 inside. When this ice-making unit 22 is fixed inside the housing 28, a machine room R2 is formed outside the ice-making case 30 inside the housing 28, as shown in Figures 3 to 6. Most of the cooling device 24 and the control device 26 are housed in this machine room R2.

[0017] The ice-making unit 22 comprises an ice-making plate 20, a water-spraying pipe (discharge section) 32 for spraying ice-making water onto the ice-making plate 20, a water storage tank 34 for storing ice-making water, and a pump device 36 for sending water from the water storage tank 34 to the water-spraying pipe 32, all of which are housed within the ice-making case 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the ice-making plate 20 is positioned in a nearly vertical orientation with its plate surface facing to the right (towards the discharge port 10a). This plate surface is the ice-making surface 20a, and multiple partition walls 20b are provided on the ice-making surface 20a in a grid pattern when viewed from above. As a result, multiple ice-making chambers 20c are formed by the ice-making surface 20a and the multiple partition walls 20b. In other words, the ice-making plate 20 has a shallow box shape with multiple ice-making chambers 20c opening to the right (towards the discharge port 10a). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the partition walls 20b that extend horizontally are sloped downwards as they move away from the ice-making surface 20a.

[0018] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, an evaporator tube 38 constituting the cooling device 24 is provided on the side of the ice-making plate 20 opposite to the ice-making surface 20a. The cooling device 24 will now be explained with reference to Figure 7. The cooling device 24 comprises a compressor 40 for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser 42 for cooling and liquefying the compressed refrigerant gas by airflow from a condenser fan 41, an expansion valve 43 for expanding the liquefied refrigerant, the aforementioned evaporator tube 38 for vaporizing the expanded liquefied refrigerant to cool the ice-making plate 20, and a dryer 44 for removing moisture mixed in the refrigerant tube. These are connected by a refrigerant tube 45 to form a refrigeration circuit through which the refrigerant circulates. When the evaporator tube 38 cools the ice-making plate 20, the water flowing down the ice-making surface 20a freezes, and numerous block-shaped ice is generated in each ice-making chamber 20c. The ice in each ice-making chamber 20c is generated to be slightly larger than the protruding length of the partition wall 20b. As a result, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, each block of ice in each ice-making chamber 20c is connected, creating a plate-shaped connected ice A, which is made up of connected block-shaped ice.

[0019] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the cooling device 24 includes a bypass pipe 46 connecting the compressor 40 and the evaporator tube 38, a hot gas valve 47 provided in the bypass pipe 46, and a cooling valve 48 provided between the dryer 44 and the expansion valve 43. By closing the cooling valve 48 and opening the hot gas valve 47, refrigerant gas (hot gas) is supplied from the compressor 40 to the evaporator tube 38, making it possible to heat the evaporator tube 38. When ice is generated, the hot gas valve 47 is opened to supply hot gas to the evaporator tube 38, heating the ice-making plate 20, which makes it possible to separate the generated ice from the ice-making plate 20.

[0020] As shown in Figures 5, 6, and 8, an ice thickness sensor 50 (for example, a proximity sensor) is provided on the upper part of the ice-making plate 20. The ice thickness sensor 50 is positioned in the center of the ice-making plate 20 in the front-to-back direction, facing the ice-making surface 20a, and spaced apart from the ice-making surface 20a. The ice thickness sensor 50 can detect when the surface of the plate-shaped connected ice A comes into contact with the lower end 50a, thereby detecting when the plate-shaped connected ice A has grown to a predetermined thickness. In other words, when the ice thickness sensor 50 detects that the plate-shaped connected ice A has grown to a predetermined thickness, the ice-making plate 20 is heated by the hot gas supplied to the evaporator tube 38 in the manner described above, and the generated plate-shaped connected ice A is detached from the ice-making plate 20. As shown in Figure 9, the ice thickness sensor 50 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 51 provided above the ice-making plate 20 so that its lower part is displaced away from the ice-making plate 20. Therefore, the ice thickness sensor 50 is pushed and rotated by the plate-shaped connected ice A that has detached from the ice-making plate 20, and is designed not to hinder the detachment of the plate-shaped connected ice A.

[0021] Furthermore, as will be explained in detail later, the ice-making case 30 has a water storage tank 34 formed on its inner bottom side. Water is supplied to the water storage tank 34 from a water supply unit 52 connected to a water source such as a water supply pipe. The water storage tank 34 is equipped with a pump device 36, which supplies water to the sprinkler pipe 32 via a water supply pipe 53. The water flowing down the ice-making surface 20a from the sprinkler pipe 32 freezes and turns into ice, but the water that does not freeze is returned to the water storage tank 34 and sent back to the sprinkler pipe 32 by the pump device 36. In other words, the ice-making water is circulated between the water storage tank 34 and the ice-making unit 20.

[0022] <Ice dispensing mechanism of an ice maker> Next, the configuration for releasing the plate-shaped connected ice A that has detached from the ice-making plate 20 to the outside in the ice-making machine 10 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The ice-making case 30 mainly consists of a box-shaped main case member 60 that opens upward and to the right, as shown in Figure 10. As shown in Figure 3, a side wall member 61 that forms the right side wall and a ceiling member 62 that forms the ceiling are attached to the main case member 60, forming an ice-making chamber R1 inside. The main case member 60 has a recess formed on the bottom side which functions as a water storage tank 34. The ice-making plate 20, watering pipe 32, and pump device 36 are assembled to this main case member 60. When the side wall member 61 is assembled to the main case member 60, an opening 30a is formed between the upper end of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60 and the lower end of the side wall member 61. In addition, the housing 28 also has an opening 28a that connects to the opening 30a of the ice-making case 30. An outlet 10a for releasing ice produced in the ice-making chamber R1 to the outside is formed by the opening 30a of the ice-making case 30 and the opening 28a of the housing 28. The upper end surface 60a1 of the right side wall portion 60a of the main case member 60 is shaped to slope downwards as it faces outwards.

[0023] Below the ice-making plate 20, an ice guide 64 is positioned as a guide member to guide the ice that has detached from the ice-making plate 20 to the discharge port 10a. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the ice guide 64 is a plate-shaped member with a V-shaped cross-section and is long in the front-to-back direction, and has a first plate surface portion 64a and a second plate surface portion 64b. The ice guide 64 is held at the lower end of a holding member 65 that holds the ice-making plate 20, the evaporator tube 38, the water sprinkler pipe 32, etc., and is movably held around a pivot axis 64c at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0024] The ice guide 64 has a second plate surface 64b that is heavier than the first plate surface 64a. In its natural state, as shown by the solid line in Figure 11 (as shown in Figures 8 and 9), the second plate surface 64b hangs down from the pivot axis 64c, and the first plate surface 64a takes on a first position in which it slopes upward as it approaches the tip (as it approaches the discharge port 10a). The ice guide 64 is a component that catches ice when it detaches from the ice-making plate 20, and it rotates due to the weight of the ice as it collides with the upper surface of the first plate surface 64a. Then, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 11 and in Figure 12, the first plate surface 64a takes on a second position in which it slopes downward as it approaches the tip. When the ice guide 64 assumes the second position, the first plate surface 64a is positioned to align with the upper end surface 60a1 of the right side wall 60a of the main case member 60, allowing the ice to be smoothly released outwards. When the ice slides off the first plate surface 64a of the ice guide 64 (and is released from the discharge port 10a), the weight of the second plate surface 64b causes it to return to the first position.

[0025] The discharge port 10a can be closed by a separator 68, which is a lid member. The separator 68 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing relative to the side wall member 61. In its natural state, the separator 68 is in a hanging position as shown in Figure 11, and closes the opening 30a of the ice making case 30, thereby closing the discharge port 10a. In other words, in the closed state, the separator 68 prevents cold air from the ice making chamber R1 from leaking to the outside and also prevents ice-making water from splashing to the outside. The separator 68 is also able to swing so that its lower end is displaced away from the ice-making surface 20a. In other words, when ice guided to the discharge port 10a by the ice guide 64 collides with the separator 68, as shown in Figure 12, the weight of the ice causes the lower end to be displaced outward, opening the discharge port 10a.

[0026] Furthermore, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, the separator 68 is divided into upper and lower parts, as shown in Figure 11, and consists of an upper separator (upper lid) 70 and a lower separator (lower lid) 71. That is, the upper separator 70 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing around a pivot axis 70a relative to the side wall member 61, and the lower separator 71 is held at its upper end so as to be able to swing around a pivot axis 71a relative to the upper separator 70. In its natural state, both the upper separator 70 and the lower separator 71 hang down, closing the discharge port 10a.

[0027] Furthermore, the separator 68 has a stopper 72 that prevents rotation in the direction toward the inside of the ice-making case 30 from a planar state where the lower separator 71 is not tilted relative to the upper separator 70, as shown in the closed state in Figure 11. In other words, the lower separator 71 is configured such that it is prohibited from swinging toward the inside of the ice-making case 30 relative to the upper separator 70 from a planar state, but swinging toward the outside. With this configuration, when the upper separator 70 rotates toward the outside of the ice-making case 30, the lower separator 71 also follows and rotates while maintaining a planar state. For example, when a plate-shaped connected ice A detaches from the ice-making plate 20, the plate-shaped connected ice A collides with the upper separator 70, as shown in Figure 12, causing the upper separator 70 to swing toward the outside of the ice-making case 30. In this process, the lower separator 71 also rotates while maintaining its planar position, so it does not obstruct the outward movement of the plate-shaped connected ice A, allowing it to be smoothly released outwards.

[0028] On the other hand, for example, when a plate-shaped connected ice A falls onto the ice guide 64, the impact may cause it to break apart, resulting in a single row of connected ice B extending in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 13. In such a case, for example, if the separator is not divided vertically, the weight of the connected ice B, which is smaller than the plate-shaped connected ice A, may not be enough to open the separator, and the ice may get stuck inside the ice-making case 30. In contrast, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, if only a single row of connected ice B remains, as shown in Figure 13, the weight of the connected ice B causes only the lower separator 71 to swing outwards from the ice-making case 30. With this configuration, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment can prevent the small pieces of ice from getting stuck in the separator 68. Furthermore, since only the lower separator 71 opens when releasing small pieces of ice to the outside, the opening area can be reduced compared to the case where the separator is not divided vertically, thus suppressing the leakage of cold air from the ice-making chamber R1.

[0029] <Water leak prevention structure for ice makers> In this embodiment, the ice maker 10 is configured such that the watering pipe 32 sprays water from above the ice-making plate 20 toward the ice-making surface 20a. More specifically, as shown in Figure 14, the holding member 65 that holds the ice-making plate 20 and the watering pipe 32 is provided with an ice-making water guide section 65a directly below the watering pipe 32, which receives the ice-making water sprayed from the watering pipe 32 and guides the ice-making water to the upper end of the ice-making plate 20. Therefore, the ice-making water sprayed from the watering pipe 32 hits the ice-making water guide section 65a and is scattered toward the discharge port 10a. There is a risk that this scattered ice-making water may leak to the outside from the discharge port 10a, which is located relatively close to the ice-making plate 20. The ice maker 10 in this embodiment is equipped with various structures to prevent water leakage from the discharge port 10a, which will be described in detail below.

[0030] As shown in Figures 10 and 14, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is equipped with the above-mentioned ice water guide section 65a and a generally plate-shaped splash prevention member 76 that covers the upper part of the ice plate 20, facing the discharge port 10a side of the ice making surface 20a. This splash prevention member 76 catches the ice water that splashes from the upper part of the ice plate 20 toward the discharge port 10a side and causes it to fall downward. The lower end of the inner wall surface 76a of the splash prevention member 76, which is the surface facing the ice making surface 20a, is an inclined surface section 76a1 that slopes toward the ice making surface 20a side as it approaches the lower end. This allows some of the splashed ice water to be returned to the ice plate 20.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, the splash-proof member 76 has multiple reinforcing ribs 76b formed on its inner wall surface 76a. Each of these ribs 76b extends vertically and is shaped to incline towards the center in the longitudinal direction as it extends downwards. Therefore, the ice-making water received by the inner wall surface 76a is collected towards the center via the ribs 76b, preventing the ice-making water from falling outwards in the front-to-back direction of the splash-proof member 76.

[0032] The splash-proof member 76 is rotatably held at its upper end together with the ice thickness sensor 50 relative to the bracket 51. This configuration allows the splash-proof member 76 to rotate when ice detaches from the ice-making plate 20, thereby allowing the ice to detach from the ice-making plate 20. The splash-proof member 76 also has a notch 76c formed in the center of its longitudinal direction, and the ice thickness sensor 50 is positioned inside this notch 76c. This configuration allows the splash-proof member 76 to rotate independently of the ice thickness sensor 50, so as not to interfere with the operation of the ice thickness sensor 50. When the splash-proof member 76 is rotated by ice detached from the ice-making plate 20, as shown in Figure 9, the lower end portion 76d will come into contact with the side wall member 61, but the outer surface of the lower end portion 76d will come into contact with the inner wall surface of the side wall member 61. Therefore, the impact at the time of contact can be dispersed, and damage to the water splash prevention member 76 can be suppressed.

[0033] The ice-making water that falls from the splash-proof member 76 drips onto the ice guide 64. In its natural first position, the ice guide 64 has an upward slope as the first plate surface 64a approaches the discharge port 10a. Therefore, the ice-making water that drips onto the ice guide 64 flows away from the discharge port 10a and is returned to the water storage tank 34 located below the ice guide 64.

[0034] Furthermore, any ice-making water that is not caught by the splash-preventing member 76 and splashes towards the discharge port 10a is caught, for example, by the side wall member 61 or the separator 68. When the separator 68 is in the closed position, as shown in Figure 11, the inner wall surface of the lower separator 71 is offset outward from the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70. In other words, the separator 68 in the closed position has a shape in which the lower part is recessed compared to the upper part. When the ice guide 64 is in the first position, as shown in Figure 16, the entire edge of the tip side of the first plate surface 64a protrudes from the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70 towards the inner wall surface of the lower separator 71. The splashes of water caught by the side wall member 61 travel along the inner wall surface and fall from the drain wall 61b, which is provided projecting downward from the lower end of the side wall member 61 (more specifically, the upper edge portion 61a of the opening 30a in the side wall member 61) so as to extend the inner wall surface. Directly below the drain wall 61b is the ice guide 64 in the first position (more specifically, the first plate surface portion 64a), so the ice-making water caught by the side wall member 61 falls onto the ice guide 64 and is returned to the water storage tank 34. In other words, the side wall member 61 functions as a splash-receiving section. The drain wall 61b also covers the gap between the upper edge portion 61a of the opening and the separator 68 on the ice-making chamber R1 side, preventing splashes of water from leaking out of these gaps.

[0035] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 17, the side wall member 61 also has an overhang 61d that extends inward toward the inside of the opening 30a, extending from the inner wall surface, on the opening side edge 61c which forms the side edge of the opening 30a. Since this overhang 61d covers the ice-making chamber R1 side of the gap between the separator 68 and the opening side edge 61c, it is possible to prevent splashed water from leaking out to the outside through these gaps.

[0036] Next, let's consider the case where the ice-making water is received by the separator 68. As shown in Figure 11, the upper separator 70 has a shape that bulges toward the ice-making chamber R1, and the surface facing the ice-making surface 20a has a vertical surface portion 70b that extends vertically and an inclined surface portion 70c that slopes downward toward the inside of the ice-making chamber R1 from the lower end of the vertical surface portion 70b. The upper separator 70 is equipped with a plate-shaped drain portion 70d that hangs downward from the lower end of its inclined surface portion 70c. Due to this drain portion 70d, the ice-making water received by the upper separator 70 does not run down to the lower surface of the upper separator 70, but instead falls from the drain portion 70d. Since the ice guide 64 (first plate surface 64a) in the first position is located directly below the drainage section 70d, the ice-making water received by the upper separator 70 falls onto the ice guide 64 and is returned to the water storage tank 34. In other words, the inner wall surface of the upper separator 70 functions as a splash receiving section. Incidentally, although there is a gap between the drainage section 70d of the upper separator 70 and the first plate surface 64a of the ice guide 64, considering the angle at which the ice-making water splashed from above falls, it hardly passes through these gaps.

[0037] With the configuration described above, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment can effectively suppress the leakage of ice-making water scattered from the ice-making plate 20 from the discharge port 10a due to the presence of multiple splash-receiving sections and an ice guide 64 that takes a first position tilted in the opposite direction to the discharge port 10a in a natural state.

[0038] <Water storage tank drainage structure> As described above, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is configured to circulate ice-making water, and ice-making water is constantly stored in the water storage tank 34 during ice-making operation. More specifically, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the main case member 60 has a portion that forms the water storage tank 34, which is a longitudinal rectangular ice-making residual water receiving portion 80 that receives ice-making residual water that did not freeze on the ice-making plate 20, directly below the ice-making plate 20, and a rectangular pump housing portion 82 that is formed in planar connection with the ice-making residual water receiving portion 80 and where the pump device 36 is located. Together, the ice-making residual water receiving portion 80 and the pump housing portion 82 form the main water storage portion 84 that stores the ice-making water.

[0039] The main case member 60 has a compartment 88 formed on the front side (lower side in Figure 19) of the pump housing 82, separated from the water storage section 84 by a partition wall 86. This compartment 88 is further divided into left and right sections by a vertical wall 90. However, as shown in Figure 20, this vertical wall 90 is lower than the partition wall 86. The first space 88a on the right side of this vertical wall 90 is connected to the water storage section 84 by a rectangular communication hole 86a formed at the lower end of the partition wall 86. The second space 88b on the left side of the vertical wall 90 is provided with a first drain hole 92 that penetrates the main case member 60 downwards from the bottom. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, a drain pipe 93 is connected to this first drain hole 92, and this drain pipe 93 can be pulled out from the rear side of the housing 28 to the outside, allowing water to be discharged to the outside. In other words, in this embodiment, a portion of the ice-making water flows from the water storage section 84 through the communication hole 86a into the first space 88a, and the water level in the first space 88a becomes the same as that in the water storage section 84. When that water level exceeds the vertical wall 90, it overflows from the first space 88a into the second space 88b and flows into the first drain hole 92.

[0040] In other words, the vertical wall 90 functions as an overflow barrier (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "overflow barrier 90"), and a first drainage section 94 is formed, which includes the second space 88b, the first drainage hole 92, and the drainage pipe 93, to drain water that has exceeded the overflow barrier 90. The ice maker 10 of this embodiment is configured to supply ice-making water from the water supply section 53 to the water storage section 84, while simultaneously discharging some of the ice-making water from the first drainage section 94, a so-called diluted drainage system. Furthermore, by configuring the communication hole 86a provided at the lower end of the partition wall 86 to flow into the first space 88a, it is possible to prevent the ice-making water supplied from the water supply section 52 located above the water storage section 84 from flowing directly into the first space 88a and being drained.

[0041] While ice making is in operation, the water is gradually replaced by the diluted wastewater mentioned above. However, when ice making stops, the ice-making water stored in the water storage tank 34 (water storage section 84 and first space 88a) is neither circulated nor replaced. If a considerable amount of time has passed before ice making resumes, the stored water may not be hygienically sufficient. In such cases, it becomes necessary to replace the water stored in the water storage tank 34 or to clean the water storage tank 34. Furthermore, in recent years, it has become common for users to perform chemical cleaning of the water storage tank 34. The first drain section 94, which drains only the water that exceeds the overflow gate 90, is located on the opposite side of the ice-making plate 20 from the outlet 10a, and the drain pipe 93 also extends to the rear side of the ice maker 10. Therefore, using only this first drain section 94 presents problems such as the difficulty and inconvenience of draining the water from the water storage section 84 or cleaning the water storage tank 34, as described above.

[0042] Therefore, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment is equipped with a second drainage section 100 that drains water directly from the water storage section 84. As shown in Figures 18, 19, and 21, the second drainage section 100 is a second drain hole (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "second drain hole 100") that penetrates the right side wall 60a of the main case member 60 from the bottom surface of the ice-making residual water receiving section 80 in the water storage section 84. In other words, as shown in Figure 2, the downstream opening (drain port) 100a of the second drain hole 100 opens into the right side wall 10b of the ice maker 10 where the discharge port 10a is provided, or more specifically, it opens downwards in the middle of the front-to-back direction of the discharge port 10a. The ice-making residual water receiving section 80 consists of a front inclined surface section 80a that slopes downward from the front end towards the rear, a rear inclined surface section 80b that slopes downward from the rear end towards the front, and a bottom section 80c formed between them. The second drain hole 100 opens upstream to this bottom section 80c, ensuring that water in the water storage section 84 is reliably drained. Incidentally, a removable plug 102 is attached to the drain opening 100a of the second drain hole 100 during normal operation (during ice making), keeping it closed.

[0043] In this embodiment, the ice maker 10 is often positioned adjacent to other equipment or a wall on the side opposite to the discharge port 10a (the left side) and on the back. However, since the right side wall 10b of the ice maker 10 is provided with a discharge port 10a for discharging ice, this right side wall 10b will not be blocked, meaning that the drain port 100a of the second drain hole 100 will not be blocked. For example, as shown in Figure 1, even if the ice storage compartment 14 and hood 16 are attached, the drain port 100a of the second drain hole 100 can be easily accessed by removing the hood 16. In other words, when draining the water storage compartment 84, it is possible to easily drain the water from the second drain hole 100 by removing the plug 102. Furthermore, when cleaning the inside of the water storage tank 34, it is also possible to connect a hose or the like to the drain port 100a of the second drain hole 100.

[0044] With the configuration described above, the ice maker 10 of this embodiment can drain the water from the water storage section 84 and drain the cleaning water from the water storage tank 34 by utilizing the drain port 100a of the second drain section 100 which is formed on the same surface as the ice discharge port 10a. This makes these operations easier and facilitates the maintenance of hygiene in the water storage tank.

[0045] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0046] In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the drain port 100a of the second drain section 100 was performed by a detachable plug 102, but it is not limited to this. For example, a valve or the like may be provided to switch the opening and closing of the second drain section.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the discharge port 10a was provided on the right side wall, but it may also be provided on the left side wall in a symmetrical configuration. Furthermore, as a configuration that discharges forward, an ice maker with a small depth may be used.

[0048] In the above embodiment, a plate-shaped connected ice A, in which rectangular block-shaped ice is linked together, was used as an example of ice produced on the ice-making surface. However, the shape of each ice is not limited to this, and the configuration of the ice-making plate 20 can be appropriately changed to match the shape of the ice to be made. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10...Ice maker, 10a...Discharge port, 10b...Right side wall, 20...Ice plate [ice making section], 20a...Ice making surface, 30...Ice making case [housing], 30a...Opening, 32...Sprinkler pipe [water discharge section], 34...Water storage tank, 36...Pump device, 84...Water storage section, 86...Partition wall, 86a...Communication hole, 90...Vertical wall [overflow gate], 92...First drain hole, 93...Drain pipe, 94...First drain section, 100...Second drain hole [second drain section], 100a...Drain outlet, 102...Plug

Claims

1. An ice-making unit that freezes water on an ice-making surface to produce ice, A water discharge unit is positioned above the ice-making unit and discharges water toward the ice-making surface, A housing that houses the ice-making unit and the water-discharging unit, and has a discharge port for discharging the ice produced by the ice-making unit to the outside from the side wall, A water storage tank for storing water to be sent to the water discharge section and for recovering water that did not freeze in the ice-making section, A pump device that sends water from the water storage tank to the water discharge section to circulate the water, Equipped with, The water storage tank comprises a water storage section that serves as the main body for storing water, an overflow gate that defines the water level stored in the water storage section, a first drainage section for draining water that exceeds the overflow gate, and a second drainage section for draining water from the bottom of the water storage section. The ice maker is characterized in that the second drain section has an openable and closable drain port in the side wall portion having the discharge port.

2. The ice maker according to claim 1, wherein the overflow gate and the first drain section are provided on the opposite side of the ice making section from the discharge port.

3. The ice maker according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a plug for blocking the drain outlet.

4. The ice maker according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the water storage tank has a partition wall that is higher than the height of the overflow gate and surrounds the overflow gate, separating it from the water storage section, and a communication hole provided at the lower end of the partition wall that communicates with the water storage section.

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