Ice maker

Abstract

By preventing the supply of ice-making water to the ice-making section via the water supply mechanism, malfunctions that occur when cooling the ice-making section with a refrigeration system under low load are reduced. [Solution] The ice maker 10 is controlled to perform an ice-making operation in which ice-making water supplied by a water supply means 22 is frozen in the ice-making section 21 cooled by a refrigeration device 30 to produce ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 16. It is also possible to perform low-load cooling operations such as a cooling operation or frost cleaning operation in which the ice-making section 21 is cooled by the refrigeration device 30 in a low-load state by not supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22. When a low-load cooling operation is performed, the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to operate at a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operating in ice-making operation.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ice maker that produces ice in an ice making unit. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an ice maker that produces ice with an ice making unit provided in an ice making chamber. This ice maker includes: an ice making unit that freezes ice making water to produce ice; a refrigeration device that cools the ice making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor; a water supply means that delivers ice making water to the ice making unit; an ice making chamber in which the ice making unit is disposed; an ice storage chamber arranged below the ice making chamber for storing ice produced by the ice making unit; and an ice storage detector that detects that the ice storage chamber is full of ice.

[0003] In this ice maker, ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber is produced by alternately performing an ice making operation, in which ice is produced by delivering ice making water via the water supply means to the ice making unit cooled by the refrigeration device and freezing the ice making water, and a deicing operation, in which ice is detached from the ice making unit by delivering hot gas from the refrigeration device to the ice making unit. When the ice storage detector does not detect that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, the ice maker controls the ice making unit to alternately perform the ice making operation and the deicing operation in an ice making mode to produce ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber; when the ice storage detector detects that the ice storage chamber is full of ice, the ice maker controls not to perform the ice making operation and the deicing operation in an ice storage mode (standby mode), and stands by without producing ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber.

[0004] In this ice maker, when in the ice storage mode, control is performed to execute a cold holding operation for suppressing a temperature rise in the ice storage chamber; in the cold holding operation, the ice making unit is cooled by the refrigeration device, so that the inside of the ice storage chamber is cooled via the inside of the ice making chamber. This ice maker is provided with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the ice storage chamber or the ice making unit. In the cold holding operation, control is performed such that the refrigeration device is activated when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches an upper limit temperature, and the operation of the refrigeration device is stopped when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor reaches a lower limit temperature. [[Prior Art Literature]] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-032062 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The ice maker described in Patent Document 1 cools the ice storage chamber by a cooling operation during the ice storage mode (standby mode). However, the refrigeration system of the ice maker is capable of cooling the ice-making water sent to the ice-making section so that it turns into ice. Therefore, the load on the refrigeration system when cooling the ice-making section when no ice-making water is being sent is low, and the refrigeration system does not require a long time to cool the ice storage chamber. Furthermore, if the outside temperature is low, attempting to cool the ice storage chamber will shorten the cooling time required to cool the ice storage chamber, causing the compressor constituting the refrigeration system to stop operating in a short time, which may lead to malfunctions caused by the compressor stopping operating in a short time.

[0007] In this type of ice maker, a thermistor is sometimes used as the temperature sensor, and a thermistor-based temperature sensor detects temperature based on a resistance value that changes with temperature. The resistance value of a thermistor detected at extremely low temperatures becomes as low as the threshold value set when detecting a thermistor break. If the above-mentioned cooling operation is performed for a fixed operating time without being based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, in order to prevent the compressor from stopping within a certain operating time, the ice-making section may be cooled to a temperature at which a break is detected by the thermistor-based temperature sensor, and the thermistor-based temperature sensor may make a false detection that a break has occurred. The present invention aims to reduce problems that occur when the ice-making section is cooled by a refrigeration device under low load conditions by not supplying ice-making water to the ice-making section by a water supply means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an ice maker comprising: an ice-making unit that freezes ice-making water to produce ice; a refrigeration device that cools the ice-making unit with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor; a water supply means for supplying ice-making water to the ice-making unit; an ice storage chamber for storing ice produced in the ice-making unit; and an ice-making unit temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the ice-making unit. The ice maker is controlled to perform an ice-making operation in which ice-making water supplied by the water supply means is frozen in the ice-making unit cooled by the refrigeration device to produce ice, and ice is stored in the ice storage chamber. The ice maker is capable of performing a low-load cooling operation in which the ice-making unit is cooled by the refrigeration device in a low-load state by not supplying ice-making water by the water supply means. The refrigeration device is controlled to operate for a predetermined low-load cooling operation time after the low-load cooling operation is started. The ice maker is characterized in that the compressor of the refrigeration device is stopped even before the low-load cooling operation time when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor is detected to be below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor.

[0009] In the ice maker configured as described above, a low-load cooling operation is possible in which the ice-making section is cooled by the refrigeration system under low load conditions by not supplying ice-making water via the water supply means. The system is controlled to operate the refrigeration system after a predetermined low-load cooling operation time has elapsed since the low-load cooling operation was started. The system is also controlled to stop the operation of the refrigeration system's compressor even before the low-load cooling operation time has elapsed when the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor is below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making section temperature sensor. When low-load cooling operation is performed, the load on the refrigeration system to cool the ice-making section is lower than when ice-making operation is performed, so the ice-making section is cooled sufficiently in a short time. If the compressor of the refrigeration system is not stopped in a short time, there is a risk that the ice-making section will be cooled to a temperature below the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making section temperature sensor. However, the system is controlled to stop the operation of the refrigeration system's compressor even before the low-load cooling operation time has elapsed when the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor is below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making section temperature sensor. This prevents the ice-making unit from falling below the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor, thus reducing the likelihood of malfunctions occurring when the ice-making unit is cooled by the refrigeration system under low load conditions.

[0010] In the ice maker configured as described above, it is preferable to control the system so that if the ice-making section temperature sensor detects a temperature below the lower limit before the minimum operating time set for the compressor has elapsed, the operation of the refrigeration system's compressor is stopped after the minimum operating time has elapsed. When this is done, the refrigeration system's compressor will not stop operating before the minimum operating time has elapsed, and malfunctions caused by the compressor stopping in a short period of time can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the ice maker of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the ice maker of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the ice-making section and water tray. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the control device. [Figure 5] This is a time chart for when the cooling operation is performed while the unit is in standby mode. [Figure 6] This is a time chart for when the defrost cleaning operation is performed while the device is in standby mode. [Figure 7] This is a time chart for when a defrost cleaning operation is performed while in standby mode, and also a time chart for when the compressor is temporarily stopped because the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor falls below the lower limit temperature during the defrosting operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] 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 this embodiment is a so-called closed-cell type ice maker, comprising an upper housing 12 that constitutes the upper part of the housing 11, a lower housing 13 that constitutes the lower part of the housing 11, an ice-making chamber 14 and a machine chamber 15 inside the upper housing 12, and an ice storage chamber 16 inside the lower housing 13. In Figure 1, the ice inside the ice storage chamber 16 is shown by a dashed line.

[0013] 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 that cools and heats 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 14 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 downwards. 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.

[0014] 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 15, except for the evaporator 34 which is located above the ice-making unit 21 in the ice-making chamber 14. 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.

[0015] To prevent repeated short-term starting and stopping (operation and deactivation) of the compressor 31, a minimum operating time (3 minutes in this embodiment) and a minimum stopping time (3 minutes in this embodiment) are set. The condenser 32 is equipped with a condenser fan 32a, and the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 is cooled by the air blown by the condenser fan 32a. The condenser fan 32a in this embodiment has an adjustable rotation speed (rotational speed), and the rotation speed can be adjusted in steps or continuously, thereby adjusting the cooling capacity of the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 32. The condenser 32 is equipped with a condenser temperature sensor 32b, which detects the temperature of the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 and is also used to detect the temperature inside the machine room 15, which will be described later. The evaporator 34 uses a tubular member with high thermal conductivity and is arranged in a meandering manner above the ice-making unit 21.

[0016] Furthermore, the refrigeration system 30 is equipped with a hot gas pipe (hot gas path) 35 that supplies hot gas to the evaporator 34. The hot gas pipe 35 connects the downstream of the compressor 31 and the upstream of the evaporator 34, guiding the hot gas from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34. A hot gas valve 36 is interposed in the hot gas pipe 35, and the hot gas valve 36 allows the hot gas pipe 35 to be opened and closed. When the refrigeration system 30 is operated in heating mode, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided to the evaporator 34 by the opening of the hot gas valve 36, and the hot gas heats the ice-making section 21 as it passes through the evaporator 34. In this way, the ice-making section 21 is cooled by the evaporation of the refrigerant circulating in the evaporator 34 during the cooling operation of the refrigeration system 30, and heated by the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34 during the heating operation of the refrigeration system 30.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, a water supply means 22 for supplying ice-making water is provided below the ice-making unit 21. The water supply means 22 includes a water tray 23 that can be opened and closed to close the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21, an ice-making water tank 24 that stores ice-making water below the water tray 23, and a water supply pump 25 that supplies the ice-making water from the ice-making water tank 24 to the ice-making unit 21. The water tray 23, the ice-making water tank 24, and the water supply pump 25 are arranged inside the ice-making chamber 14, similar to the ice-making unit 21. The water tray 23 is pivotally supported so as to be able to tilt around a horizontal axis between a closed position that closes the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a (shown by the solid line in Figure 2) and an open position that opens the lower side of the ice-making chamber 21a (shown by the dashed line in Figure 2). The water tray 23 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism 26, and the water tray 23 tilts between a closed position and an open position by the drive of the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, thereby opening and closing the lower side of the ice-making chambers 21a. As shown in Figure 3, the water tray 23 has an ice-making water passage 23a for sending ice-making water from the ice-making water tank 24 to each ice-making chamber 21a, and an injection hole 23b is formed on the upper surface of the water tray 23 for injecting ice-making water from the ice-making water passage 23a into each ice-making chamber 21a.

[0018] A water supply pipe 27 for supplying water from a water supply source such as tap water as ice-making water is connected to the ice-making water tank 24, and a water supply valve 27a is interposed in the water supply pipe 27. Water from the water supply source is supplied to the ice-making water tank 24 through the water supply pipe 27 by opening the water supply valve 27a. The ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 is sent out to the ice-making water passage 23a of the water tray 23 by the water feed pump 25, and the ice-making water sent out to the ice-making water passage 23a is injected into the ice-making small chamber 21a from the injection hole 23b. The injected ice-making water returns to the ice-making water tank 24 while being cooled in the ice-making small chamber 21a, and the ice-making water circulates between the ice-making water tank 24 and the ice-making small chamber 21a, and freezes into ice in the ice-making small chamber 21a while being cooled.

[0019] A drain pan 28 is provided below the ice-making water tank 24, and the drain pan 28 is configured to receive ice-making water remaining in the ice-making water tank 24 after an ice-making operation. A drain pipe (not shown) is connected to the drain pan 28, and the ice-making water received by the drain pan 28 is discharged to the outside of the housing 11 through the drain pipe. Further, the drain pan 28 covers the lower side of the ice-making unit 21, and functions as a partition that separates the ice-making chamber 14 from the ice storage chamber 16 while having a discharge port 28a for discharging ice produced by the ice-making unit 21 into the ice storage chamber 16.

[0020] An ice making section temperature sensor 41 is provided in the ice making section 21, and the ice making section temperature sensor 41 can detect the completion of ice making in an ice making operation described later and the completion of deicing in a deicing operation by detecting the temperature of the ice making section 21. A thermistor that detects temperature based on a resistance value that changes depending on temperature is used as the ice making section temperature sensor 41, and in this embodiment, the protection temperature based on the resistance value for determining disconnection is set to -60°C. An ice making compartment temperature sensor 42 is provided in the ice making compartment 14, and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 42 detects the temperature inside the ice making compartment 14. In this embodiment, the ice making compartment temperature sensor 42 is arranged on a path through which ice is sent from the ice making section 21 to a discharge port 28a in the ice making compartment 14. An ice storage detector 43 that detects that the ice storage compartment 16 is full of ice is provided therein. The ice storage detector 43 extends from the ice making compartment 14 to the ice storage compartment 16 through the discharge port 28a, detects ice accumulated in an upper portion inside the ice storage compartment 16 below the discharge port 28a, and detects that the ice storage compartment 16 is full of ice.

[0021] The ice making machine 10 includes a control device 50, and as shown in Fig. 4, the control device 50 is connected to a water supply pump 25, an actuator motor 26a of an opening-closing mechanism 26, a water supply valve 27a, a compressor 31, a condenser fan 32a, a condenser temperature sensor 32b, a hot gas valve 36, the ice making section temperature sensor 41, the ice making compartment temperature sensor 42, and the ice storage detector 43. The control device 50 has a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer includes a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a timer (all not shown) which are respectively connected via a bus. The control device 50 has an ice making program that alternately and repeatedly executes an ice making operation for producing ice by freezing ice making water in the ice making section 21, and a deicing operation for removing and deicing the ice frozen in the ice making section 21 by the ice making operation.

[0022] When the control device 50 has not detected that the ice storage compartment 16 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 43, it operates an ice-making program that alternately repeats ice-making and de-icing operations to produce ice for storage in the ice storage compartment 16. When the control device 50 has detected that the ice storage compartment 16 is filled with ice using the ice storage detector 43, it operates in standby mode without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations.

[0023] During this standby mode, the control device 50 controls the operation of the refrigeration device 30 without supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22, enabling a cooling operation to be performed to cool the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16. The cooling operation cools the ice-making unit 21 by the cooling operation (operation) of the refrigeration device 30, and the cooled ice-making unit 21 cools the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16. The purpose of the cooling operation is to keep the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 at a low temperature to suppress bacterial growth, and to store ice in the ice-storage chamber 16 without melting, while preventing so-called arching, where multiple ice cubes freeze and fuse together.

[0024] During this standby mode, the control device 50 performs a frost cleaning operation to clean the ice-making unit 21 with frost by performing a frost formation operation, which involves cooling the refrigeration unit 30 without supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22 to cause frost to adhere to the ice-making unit 21, and a defrosting operation, which involves heating the refrigeration unit 30 after the frost formation operation to melt and remove the frost that has adhered to the ice-making unit 21. When ice is produced by executing the ice-making program in ice-making mode, the mineral components contained in the ice-making water remaining in the ice-making water tank during the ice-making operation become concentrated, and the ice-making water with concentrated mineral components adheres to and remains on the ice-making unit 21. The mineral components in the ice-making water that remain on the ice-making unit 21 precipitate out during the defrosting operation. In this way, when the ice-making program is repeatedly executed, dirt such as mineral components gradually accumulates on the ice-making unit 21. The frost cleaning operation washes away mineral components and other dirt adhering to the ice-making unit 21 with frost, washing away dirt not only inside the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21 but also from the outer surface of the ice-making unit 21 with frost. In particular, the frost cleaning operation does not clean the ice-making unit 21 with ice-making water, but rather allows surrounding moisture to adhere to the ice-making unit 21 as frost, washing away dirt adhering to the ice-making unit 21 with frost, thus making it less likely for mineral components contained in the ice-making water to newly adhere to the ice-making unit 21. In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, the frost cleaning operation can be performed during standby mode, but it is not limited to this, and it may also be performed after the de-icing operation in ice-making mode is completed and before the next ice-making operation is started.

[0025] Unlike the frost formation operation in the ice-making operation, where ice-making water is supplied to the ice-making unit 21 by the water supply means 22 and then cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration system 30, these frost formation operations in the ice-making operation and frost-cleaning operation are low-load cooling operations in which ice-making water is not supplied by the water supply means 22 and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration system 30 in a low-load state. When performing low-load cooling operations such as the frost formation operation in the ice-making operation and frost-cleaning operation, if the ice-making unit 21 is cooled using the same cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 as when performing the ice-making operation, there is a risk that the ice-making unit 21 will be excessively cooled in a short time, and in this case, the temperature of the ice-making unit 21 may fall below the protective temperature for protecting the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41. Also, if the compressor 31 of the refrigeration system 30 is stopped in a short time in order to prevent the ice-making unit 21 from falling below the protective temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 in a short time, there is a risk that the compressor 31 will stop before the minimum operating time has elapsed.

[0026] Therefore, when performing low-load cooling operations such as frosting operation and frost cleaning operation, the refrigeration system 30 is controlled to operate at a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operating in ice-making operation. In this embodiment, the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 is reduced by lowering the rotational speed of the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32. Specifically, the rotational speed of the condenser fan 32a is set to 50% of the rotational speed at rated output. When the rotational speed of the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 is reduced, the cooling capacity to cool the refrigerant passing through the condenser 32 decreases, the temperature of the refrigerant sent to the evaporator 34 increases, and the rate at which the temperature of the ice-making section 21 decreases slows down. When performing low-load cooling operations such as frosting operation and frost cleaning operation, the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the cooling operation of the refrigeration system 30 while the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 is reduced. This makes it less likely for the ice-making unit 21 to be excessively cooled in a short time, for example, to a temperature below the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41. This reduces the likelihood of malfunctions such as the compressor 31 stopping operation prematurely or the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 falling below its protection temperature.

[0027] Next, the ice-making program executed during ice-making mode will be described. When the control device 50 executes the ice-making program during ice-making mode, it repeatedly and alternately performs ice-making operation and de-icing operation in the ice-making unit 21. 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, the liquefied refrigerant to expand in the expansion valve 33 to become low-pressure liquefied refrigerant, the low-pressure liquefied refrigerant to vaporize in the evaporator 34 and then return to the compressor 31, and the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the vaporization of the liquefied refrigerant in the evaporator 34. In addition, with the water tray 23 tilted to the closed position by the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26, the control device 50 opens the water supply valve 27a for a predetermined time corresponding to the capacity of the ice-making water tank 24, so that the amount of ice-making water necessary to form ice in the ice-making unit 21 is stored in the ice-making water tank 24.

[0028] 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 ice-making water 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 ice-making water tank 24. The ice-making water is cooled as it circulates between the ice-making water tank 24 and each ice-making chamber 21a, and gradually freezes in each ice-making chamber 21a. When the amount of ice-making water in the ice-making water 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.

[0029] During the de-icing operation after the ice-making operation, the control device 50 opens the hot gas valve 36 while the compressor 31 is operating, causing the refrigeration unit 30 to heat up, and the actuator motor 26a of the opening / closing mechanism 26 tilts the water tray 23 to the open position. When the refrigeration unit 30 is heated, the hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided through the hot gas pipe 35 to the evaporator 34, heating each of the ice-making compartments 21a of the ice-making unit 21. The temperature of the ice-making unit 21 gradually rises due to the hot gas introduced into the evaporator 34, and the ice frozen in each of the ice-making compartments 21a detaches, slides down the water tray 23, and falls into the ice storage chamber 16 through the discharge port 28a. As the ice-making unit 21 gradually rises as the ice detaches, the control device 50 detects that there is no ice remaining in the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21, i.e., that de-icing is complete, and closes the hot gas valve 36 to end the de-icing operation. If the ice storage detector 43 has not detected that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice, the control device 50 restarts the ice-making program which alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations as described above. In this way, the control device 50 controls the ice-making program to alternate between ice-making and de-icing operations in ice-making mode until the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice.

[0030] When the system is controlled to execute an ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations, the ice storage chamber 16 will be filled with ice produced by the ice-making unit 21. When the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is filled with ice, the control device 50 terminates the ice-making mode and switches to standby mode, and controls the system to remain in standby mode without executing the ice-making program that alternates between ice-making and de-icing operations.

[0031] The control device 50 enables a cooling operation to cool the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16, and a frost cleaning operation to clean the ice-making unit 21 with frost, while in standby mode. First, the cooling operation will be explained below. As shown in Figure 5, in the cooling operation during standby mode, when the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 is above the set cooling temperature, the control device 50 activates the compressor 31 and rotates the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 at 50% of the rotational speed (output) when ice-making operation is performed (when it is rotated at rated output), thereby reducing the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 compared to when ice-making operation is performed. The refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant becomes low-pressure liquefied refrigerant in the expansion valve 33. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the ice-making unit 21 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in the evaporator 34. At this time, the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 is reduced to 50%, so the temperature of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 32 is higher than when ice-making operation is performed, and the cooling capacity of the ice-making unit 21 is reduced. As a result, the ice-making unit 21 is less likely to be overcooled in a short time, preventing the compressor 31 from stopping in a short time (at least the minimum operating time of the compressor 31), and preventing the compressor 31 from repeatedly starting and stopping in a short time. In particular, the ice-making unit 21 is less likely to fall below the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 in a short time, and the compressor 31 will not stop operating in a short time. When the cooling operation time set to be longer than the minimum operating time of the compressor 31 has elapsed (in this embodiment, it is set to 3 minutes, the same as the minimum operating time of the compressor 31, and can be set between 3 and 5 minutes), the operation of the compressor 31 and the condenser fan 32a is stopped and the cooling operation ends.

[0032] Furthermore, the control device 50 calculates the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is obtained by accumulating the detected temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 over time, by the elapsed time. To prevent the compressor 31 from starting and stopping (operating and stopping) in a short period of time, a minimum stop time is set for the compressor 31 after it has stopped operating. After the compressor 31 has stopped operating, a stop time set longer than the minimum stop time (set to 10 minutes in this embodiment) has elapsed, and the calculated average temperature is equal to or greater than the set temperature for keeping the ice-making chamber 14 cool, the control device controls the system to restart the stopped cool-keeping operation. Note that the minimum stop time for the cool-keeping operation in this embodiment is set to 10 minutes, which is longer than the minimum stop time of 3 minutes for the compressor 31, in order to reduce the number of times the compressor 31 starts and stops in long time units such as 1 hour. Thus, in the cooling operation, the refrigeration unit 30 is operated with a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operating in the ice-making operation. As a result, the ice-making unit 21 is not excessively cooled to a temperature below the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 in a short time, and the compressor 31 is not forced to start or stop (operate and stop operating) in a short time.

[0033] When performing a cooling operation, the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42 may malfunction, making it impossible to detect the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 14. In this case, instead of stopping the cooling operation, it is preferable to control the system to perform the cooling operation for a predetermined duration of cooling operation and cooling operation stop time, which should be approximately the same length as described above. It is preferable that the cooling operation stop time be changeable, as this makes it less likely for so-called arching, where multiple ice cubes in the ice storage compartment 16 freeze and fuse together, to form. In this case, it is also preferable to adjust the cooling operation time and cooling operation stop time according to the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the cooling operation time and cooling operation stop time from previously performed cooling operations may be stored in advance, and the system may be controlled to perform the cooling operation for the stored cooling operation time and cooling operation stop time.

[0034] Furthermore, if the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42 malfunctions, the system may be controlled to perform the cooling operation based on the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 instead of the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42. In this case, since the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 will be lower than the temperature detected by the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42, it is preferable to control the system to perform the cooling operation using a value obtained by adding a predetermined correction value to the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41.

[0035] Furthermore, when controlling the temperature inside the ice-making compartment 14 based on the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42, the cooling operation stop time tends to be determined according to the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10. For this reason, the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 may be estimated based on the cooling operation stop time before the ice-making compartment temperature sensor 42 malfunctioned, and the necessity of cooling operation, the cooling operation time, and the cooling operation stop time may be determined based on the estimated temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10, or the cooling set temperature may be corrected.

[0036] Next, the frost cleaning operation in standby mode will be explained below. As shown in Figure 6, during the frosting operation of the frost cleaning operation in standby mode, the control device 50 operates the compressor 31 and rotates the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 at 50% of the rotational speed (output) compared to when ice making operation is performed (when it is rotated at rated output), thereby reducing the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 compared to when ice making operation is performed. The refrigerant pumped from the compressor 31 is cooled in the condenser 32 to become liquefied refrigerant, and the liquefied refrigerant becomes low-pressure liquefied refrigerant in the expansion valve 33. The low-pressure liquefied refrigerant cools the ice making unit 21 by the heat of vaporization when it evaporates in the evaporator 34. At this time, since the rotational speed of the condenser fan 32a of the condenser 32 is reduced to 50%, the temperature of the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 32 is higher than when ice making operation is performed, and the cooling capacity of the ice making unit 21 is reduced. As a result, the ice-making unit 21 is less likely to be overcooled in a short time, preventing the compressor 31 from stopping in a short time and preventing the compressor 31 from repeatedly starting and stopping in a short period of time. In particular, the ice-making unit 21 is less likely to fall below the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 in a short time, preventing the compressor 31 from stopping in a short period of time. When the frosting operation time (15 minutes in this embodiment), which is set to be longer than the minimum operating time of the compressor 31, has elapsed, the operation of the compressor 31 and the condenser fan 32a is stopped to terminate the frosting operation.

[0037] After the frosting operation has started and the frosting operation time has elapsed, the defrosting operation is started by opening the hot gas valve 36. The hot gas sent from the compressor 31 is guided through the hot gas pipe 35 to the evaporator 34 to heat 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 frost that has accumulated on the ice-making unit 21 during the frosting operation melts and flows down into the water tray 23. During the frosting operation, the frost that has accumulated not only inside the ice-making chamber 21a of the ice-making unit 21 but also on the outer surface of the ice-making unit 21 melts and flows down, so the entire ice-making unit 21 is washed clean by the water from which the frost has melted. During the defrosting operation, the water tray 23 is kept in the open position, and the water that has flowed down from the ice-making unit 21 flows down into the water tray 23. When the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is found to be equal to or higher than the defrosting completion temperature, the hot gas valve 36 is closed, and after a predetermined time of 3 minutes, the operation of the compressor 31 is stopped, thereby ending the defrosting operation.

[0038] The ice maker 10 configured as described above includes an ice-making unit 21 that freezes ice-making water to produce ice, a refrigeration device 30 that cools the ice-making unit 21 with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor 31, a water supply means 22 that sends ice-making water to the ice-making unit 21, and an ice storage chamber 16 that stores the ice produced in the ice-making unit 21. The ice maker 10 is controlled to perform an ice-making operation in which the ice-making unit 21, cooled by the refrigeration device 30, freezes the ice-making water supplied by the water supply means 22 to produce ice, thereby enabling the production of ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber 16.

[0039] In this ice maker 10, the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the refrigeration unit 30 in a low-load state by not supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22, and a frost formation operation of the refrigeration unit 30 can be performed as a low-load cooling operation. When performing a frost formation operation of the refrigeration unit 21 in a low-load state by using the same cooling capacity of the refrigeration unit 30 as when performing an ice-making operation, the load on the refrigeration unit 30 to cool the ice-making unit 21 is lower than when performing an ice-making operation, so there is a risk that the ice-making unit 21 will be overcooled in a short time.

[0040] In this ice maker 10, when performing a frosting operation for either a cooling operation or a defrosting operation, the refrigeration unit 30 is controlled to operate at a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operating in ice-making mode. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a is set to 50% of the rotation speed (output) when ice-making mode is performed (when it is rotating at rated output), and the refrigeration unit 30 is controlled to operate at a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operating in ice-making mode. As a result, the ice-making unit 21 is not overcooled in a short time, and the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 is not stopped in a short time. In addition, since the ice-making unit 21 is not overcooled in a short time, the problem of the temperature of the ice-making unit 21 falling below the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is less likely to occur. In this embodiment, when performing a frosting operation for either a cooling operation or a defrosting operation, the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a is set to 50% of the rated output, but it is not limited to this, and it is sufficient to reduce the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a below the rated output.

[0041] Furthermore, in the frost formation operation of these cooling and defrosting operations, the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 is reduced by lowering the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a compared to when ice making operation is performed (when it is rotated at rated output). However, this is not the only way to reduce the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30. The cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 may also be reduced by intermittently operating the condenser fan 32a by turning it on and off during the cooling or defrosting operation. In addition, when the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor 32b is, for example, 25°C or higher as a predetermined set temperature, the condenser fan 32a may be operated at rated output (or an output lower than rated output), and when the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor 32b detects a lower limit temperature, for example, 3°C lower than the set temperature, the condenser fan 32a may be stopped. Thus, the cooling capacity of the refrigeration system 30 may be reduced by intermittently operating the condenser fan 32a based on the temperature detected by the condenser temperature sensor 32b.

[0042] In the frosting operation of these cooling and defrosting operations, it is preferable to control the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a according to the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10. If the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 is high, the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 may not be sufficiently cooled during the cooling operation, and frost may not adhere sufficiently to the ice making unit 21 during the frosting operation. If the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 is low, the ice making chamber 14 and the ice storage chamber 16 may be excessively cooled during the cooling operation, and the ice making unit 21 may be excessively cooled during the frosting operation. Therefore, it is preferable to use, for example, a condenser temperature sensor (outside temperature sensor) 32b as a temperature sensor to detect the temperature outside the ice-making room 14 and the ice-storage room 16, and to set the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a higher than 50% of the rated output (for example, 70% of the rated output) when the condenser temperature sensor 32b is higher than a predetermined temperature of, for example, 20°C, and to set the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a even lower than 50% of the rated output (for example, 30% of the rated output).

[0043] In this configuration, when the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 is high, the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a can be set higher than 50% of the rated output (for example, 70% of the rated output) to sufficiently cool the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16 via the ice-making unit 21 during the cooling operation, and sufficient frost can be formed on the ice-making unit 21 during the frosting operation. Furthermore, when the temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10 is low, the rotation speed of the condenser fan 32a can be set even lower than 50% of the rated output (for example, 30% of the rated output) to prevent excessive cooling of the inside of the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16 via the ice-making unit 21 during the cooling operation, and to prevent excessive cooling of the ice-making unit 21 during the frosting operation. Although a condenser temperature sensor 32b is used as a temperature sensor to detect the temperature outside the ice-making chamber 14 and the ice-storage chamber 16, the system is not limited to this, and a temperature sensor may be provided, for example, inside the machine room 15 or inside or outside the housing 11.

[0044] Furthermore, during the frosting operation of these cooling and defrosting operations, the load on the ice-making unit 21 may be temporarily increased to prevent the ice-making unit 21 from being excessively cooled in a short time. As a means of temporarily increasing the load on the ice-making unit 21, the hot gas valve 36 may be opened instantaneously (for a short time, such as 5 seconds) to temporarily supply hot gas from the compressor 31 to the evaporator 34, thereby preventing the ice-making unit 21 from being excessively cooled. In this case, when performing the cooling operation, when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is detected as a predetermined temperature, for example -10°C, the hot gas valve 36 may be opened for 5 seconds to suppress the temperature drop of the ice-making unit 21 or raise its temperature, thereby suppressing the temperature drop of the ice-making chamber 14 or raising its temperature. Alternatively, the hot gas valve 36 may be opened for 5 seconds each time the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 drops by -5°C, such as -10°C, -15°C, etc., to suppress the temperature drop of the ice-making unit 21 or raise its temperature. Alternatively, the system may be controlled to open the hot gas valve 36 each time the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 falls below -10°C, so that the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 does not fall below -10°C.

[0045] Furthermore, during the cooling operation, as a means of temporarily increasing the load on the ice-making unit 21, ice-making water may be temporarily supplied to the ice-making unit 21 by the water supply means 22 to prevent the ice-making unit 21 from being excessively cooled. When supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22, it should be supplied for a short period of time so that ice does not form in the ice-making unit 21. In this case, the water supply means 22 may be used to supply ice-making water until the temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 reaches a predetermined temperature of 0°C.

[0046] Next, another embodiment of the ice maker 10 will be described. The ice-making section temperature sensor 41 is set to a protection temperature (in this embodiment, -60°C), which is the temperature at which the ice-making section temperature sensor 41 detects a wire break and provides protection. The ice maker 10 described next is controlled to stop the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 even before the low-load cooling operation time, which is the refrigeration operation time (3 minutes in this embodiment) or the frosting operation time (15 minutes in this embodiment), when the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor 41 is set to be lower than or equal to a lower limit temperature (-45°C) which is higher than the protection temperature of the ice-making section temperature sensor 41 (-60°C in this embodiment).

[0047] In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, similar to the embodiment described above, the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the refrigeration device 30 in a low-load state by not supplying ice-making water by the water supply means 22, and a frosting operation of the frost-cleaning operation can be performed as a low-load cooling operation. When performing these low-load cooling operations such as the frosting operation of the frost-cleaning operation, the refrigeration device 30 is controlled to operate in a cooling operation (operation) for a predetermined frost-cleaning operation time (low-load cooling operation time) after the frosting operation of the frost-cleaning operation has started. In this embodiment of the ice maker 10, when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is detected to be below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 during the execution of the frosting operation of the frost-cleaning operation, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 is stopped even before the frost-cleaning operation time has elapsed (before the low-load cooling operation time).

[0048] When a low-load cooling operation, such as a frosting operation or a defrosting operation, is performed during standby mode, the load on the refrigeration unit 30 to cool the ice-making unit 21 is lower than when an ice-making operation is performed, so the ice-making unit 21 is sufficiently cooled in a short time. If the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 is not stopped in a short time, the ice-making unit 21 may be cooled to a temperature lower than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41. However, when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is found to be below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 is stopped, even if it is during the frosting operation time or defrosting operation time (low-load cooling operation time). This prevents the ice-making unit 21 from falling below the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41, and prevents a false detection that the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 has broken due to the temperature falling below the protection temperature, which can occur when the ice-making unit 21 is cooled by the refrigeration device 30 under low load conditions.

[0049] In particular, as in the embodiment described above, when performing a frosting operation in a cooling operation or a defrosting operation, the ice-making unit 21 is prone to being overcooled in a short time, not only when the refrigeration unit 30 is operated with a reduced cooling capacity compared to when it is operated in an ice-making operation, but also when the refrigeration unit 30 is operated with the same cooling capacity as when it is operated in an ice-making operation. For this reason, when performing a frosting operation in a cooling operation or a defrosting operation, and when the refrigeration unit 30 is operated with the same cooling capacity as when it is operated in an ice-making operation, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 can be stopped even before the cooling operation time or frosting operation time has elapsed (before the low-load cooling operation time) when the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41. This ensures that the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 does not suffer from the problem of the temperature falling below the protection temperature.

[0050] When the cooling operation is in progress, as described above, the average temperature per unit time of the accumulated temperature is calculated by dividing the accumulated temperature, which is obtained by accumulating the detected temperature detected by the ice-making chamber temperature sensor 42 over time, by the elapsed time. When the cooling operation is in progress, even if the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor 41 is found to be below the lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature of the ice-making section temperature sensor 41, and the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration device 30 is stopped, the average temperature is calculated in progress. In this embodiment, if the average temperature after a predetermined time of 10 minutes has elapsed since the operation of the compressor 31 was stopped is equal to or greater than the cooling set temperature, the system controls the system to restart the cooling operation by operating the compressor 31. On the other hand, if the average temperature after a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation of the compressor 31 was stopped is lower than the cooling set temperature, the cooling operation is continued until the average temperature becomes equal to or greater than the cooling set temperature, and then stopped.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, when the defrosting operation of the frost cleaning operation is in progress, if the temperature detected by the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41 is below the lower limit temperature set higher than the protective temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41, and the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration unit 30 is stopped, the compressor 31 is restarted after the minimum stop time (3 minutes in this embodiment) of the compressor 31 has elapsed within the defrosting operation time (15 minutes in this embodiment). If the defrosting operation time has elapsed within the minimum stop time of the compressor 31, the defrosting operation is terminated and the defrosting operation is started after the minimum stop time of the compressor 31 has elapsed.

[0052] Furthermore, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, when the ice-making section temperature sensor 41 detects a temperature below the lower limit before the minimum operating time set for the compressor 31 has elapsed while the frost formation operation of the cooling operation or frost cleaning operation is being performed, the operation of the compressor 31 of the refrigeration system 30 is stopped after the minimum operating time of the compressor 31 has elapsed. By doing so, the compressor 31 of the refrigeration system 30 does not stop operating before the minimum operating time has elapsed, and malfunctions caused by the compressor 31 stopping operating in a short time are less likely to occur.

[0053] Furthermore, in the ice maker 10 of this embodiment, the lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature of the ice maker temperature sensor 41 may be changed or a lower limit temperature may not be set based on the detected temperature of the installation location of the ice maker 10, the detected temperature of the refrigerant discharge part of the compressor 31, or the detected temperature of the refrigerant outlet part of the condenser 32. If the detected temperature of the installation location is low and the detected temperature of the refrigerant discharge part of the compressor 31 or the detected temperature of the refrigerant outlet part of the condenser 32 is low, the operation of the compressor 31 is controlled so that the ice maker 21 does not fall below the lower limit temperature (in this embodiment -45℃) set higher than the protection temperature of the ice maker temperature sensor 41. If the detected temperature of the installation location is low and the detected temperature of the refrigerant discharge part of the compressor 31 (or the detected temperature of the refrigerant outlet part of the condenser 32) is not low, or if the detected temperature of the installation location is not low and the detected temperature of the refrigerant discharge part of the compressor 31 When the detected temperature (or the detected temperature at the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 32) is low, the lower limit temperature is further lowered to -50°C to reduce the frequency of the compressor 31 starting and stopping, thereby controlling the operation of the compressor 31. When the detected temperature at the installation site is not low, and the detected temperature at the refrigerant discharge point of the compressor 31 (or the detected temperature at the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 32) is not low, the temperature of the ice-making unit 21 is not likely to drop because the temperature at the installation site is not low, so the compressor 31 is operated for the cooling operation time or frosting operation time without setting a lower limit temperature. In this way, by changing the lower limit temperature, which is set higher than the protection temperature of the ice-making unit temperature sensor 41, or by not setting a lower limit temperature, based on the detected temperature at the installation site of the ice maker 10, the detected temperature at the refrigerant discharge point of the compressor 31, or the detected temperature at the refrigerant outlet of the condenser 32, a stable cooling operation or frosting operation for defrost cleaning can be performed.

[0054] The ice maker 10 in this embodiment is a so-called closed-cell type ice maker, but it 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 chamber, as long as the ice maker is controlled to perform ice-making operation in ice-making mode when the ice storage detector 43 does not detect that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice, and to remain in standby mode when the ice storage detector 43 detects that the ice storage chamber 16 is full of ice. Furthermore, the descriptions of temperature and other parameters in this embodiment are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these descriptions of temperature and time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 10...Ice maker, 16...Ice storage chamber, 21...Ice making unit, 22...Water supply means, 30...Refrigeration system, 31...Compressor, 32...Condenser, 32a...Condenser fan, 34...Evaporator, 41...Ice making unit temperature sensor.

Claims

1. The ice-making section freezes ice-making water to produce ice, A refrigeration system that cools the ice-making section with a refrigerant circulated and supplied by a compressor, A water supply means for supplying ice-making water to the ice-making section, An ice storage chamber for storing ice produced in the aforementioned ice-making section, The system includes an ice-making section temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the ice-making section, An ice maker that produces ice to be stored in the ice storage chamber by controlling the ice-making operation to be performed in the ice-making section cooled by the refrigeration device, in which ice-making water supplied by the water supply means is frozen to produce ice, The water supply means prevents the supply of ice-making water, enabling a low-load cooling operation in which the ice-making section is cooled by the refrigeration device under low load conditions. The system controls the refrigeration device to operate for a predetermined low-load cooling period after the low-load cooling operation has been initiated. An ice maker characterized in that when the temperature detected by the ice-making section temperature sensor is below a lower limit temperature set higher than the protection temperature set to protect the ice-making section temperature sensor, the operation of the compressor of the refrigeration system is stopped, even before the low-load cooling operation time.

2. In the ice maker according to claim 1, An ice maker characterized in that, when the ice-making section temperature sensor detects a temperature below the lower limit before the minimum operating time set for the compressor has elapsed, the operation of the compressor of the refrigeration system is stopped after the minimum operating time has elapsed.

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