JPS61250475A - Water circulation type ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION a. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a water circulation type ice maker, and particularly relates to a novel improvement for preventing the generation of muddy or flocculent ice during ice making.

b. Conventional technology Generally, ice is produced in an ice-making plate while circulating water.
It is well known that so-called water circulation type ice makers generate flocculent ice and muddy ice, which is extremely inconvenient. As detailed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 15706/1983 filed by the same applicant as the present application, this flocculent ice or muddy ice is unique to water circulation type ice makers, and is produced when running water is being cooled. , the temperature of the running water is 0℃
This is a phenomenon in which the supercooled water crystallizes in an instant in the ice making water tank or water circulation system under some conditions because it is not frozen in the cooling section even when it reaches the ice temperature and is further supercooled. be.

That is, the typical configuration of the ice making section in this type of water circulation ice making machine that has been used in the past is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10.

That is, the ice-making plate 1 for configuring a part of the ice-making section is
The cooling pipes 2 are made of a metal with good thermal conductivity such as copper and are arranged almost vertically, and the cooling pipes 2 are formed by bending metal pipes with good thermal conductivity such as copper into a serpentine shape and connecting them to the back surface of each ice-making plate 1. It is provided by a thermally conductive coupling means such as welding.

The upper portions of each of the ice-making plates 1 are connected to each other by a mountain-shaped connecting portion 3, and a water sprinkler pipe 4 is disposed above the connecting portion 3. A large number of small holes 5 are formed in this water sprinkling pipe 4, and the ice-making water sprinkled from each of these small holes 5 flows through the connecting portion 3. It flows down onto the ice-making surface 1a of each ice-making plate 1 through ll:.

The ice-making water flowing down each ice-making surface 1a is collected in a water collection gutter 6 disposed at the bottom of each ice-making plate 1, and
After being collected in the tank 7, it is again pumped to the sprinkler pipe 4 by a suitable circulation pump (not shown), and the water circuit described above constitutes a water circulation system.

The cooling pipe 2 is cooled by a condensing unit including a compressor, a condenser, etc. (not shown), and the temperature of the ice-making water gradually decreases as it flows down each ice-making surface 1a.
When the ice-making water is sufficiently cooled, an ice plate 8 grows on the surface of the ice-making plate 1.

The size of the grown ice plate 8 is detected by a known ice making completion detection means (not shown) such as a temperature sensor or a float switch, and the deicing water pipe 9 is disposed at the upper part of each ice making plate 1. The deicing water supplied from each small hole 1° is supplied to the back side of each ice-making plate 1, heating the cooling pipe 2 and each ice-making plate 1, and causing a slight melting between the ice plate 8 and each ice-making plate 1. Ice plate 8
This is the configuration that obtains the following. Incidentally, during the deicing process, a heating means such as a heater and a hot gas means for supplying high temperature discharge gas from the compressor into the cooling pipe 2 are usually used together.

In the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. In the processing of tubular pipes, equal spacing is more advantageous in terms of the work process, so it has usually been the case that they are arranged at regular intervals. However, according to the applicant's experiments, in the above configuration,
When the cooling pipes 2 are arranged at uniform intervals on the ice-making plate 1, the degree of cooling of the ice-making water becomes uniform, so that the entire ice-making water is likely to be supercooled, and as a result, the formation of muddy ice or flocculent ice is prevented. It has been found that this is likely to occur.

Next, to explain the principle of the generation mechanism of muddy ice or flocculent ice in more detail, in the ice making process using the ice making plate 1 of the conventional configuration described above, at the start of ice making, water is supplied from outside. The water temperature is considerably higher than 0° C., for example, T° C. for purposes of explanation. This T
While the ice-making water having a water temperature of .degree. C. flows down over the ice-making plates 1, the temperature gradually decreases because each ice-making plate 1 is cooled by the cooling pipe 2. In other words, as shown in Figure 10, the temperature of the ice making water is T℃>71℃>T2℃'>Ts℃
＞T4℃＞Ts℃.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the temperatures at points equidistant from the water sprinkler 4 in the horizontal direction of point A are the same. In other words, if the temperature at point A is T℃, AI, All
, the temperature at the Al1 point is also T'C, and if the temperature at the B point is 71°C, the temperatures at the Bl, B+1, and B111 points are also 71°C.

Furthermore, the ice-making water cooled to 15°C at point F is
It flows down to the tank 7 through the water collection gutter 6, but since ice-making water at T°C remains in the tank 7, it mixes with the flowing water at 15°C to lower its temperature, for example, 'I"l. 6c (
However, when the temperature reaches r'c>'r'℃), the ice-making water at 71℃ is sent to the water sprinkler 4 again, and by repeating this operation over time, the water temperature in the tank 7 gradually decreases. decreases to

In other words, it is understood that in the conventional configuration, there is a large amount of ice-making water at the same temperature on the ice-making surface 1a of the ice-making plate 1, and therefore, the entire area in the horizontal direction of the lowest point F is at the same temperature. This is the result. Therefore, temperatures on the verge of freezing,
For example, if the temperature at point F is approximately 0°C, the amount of heat required to freeze a large amount of water (approximately 80 cal, i
) cannot be taken away at once by this ice making unit, so 0
C. water flows down the water collection gutter 6 into the tank 7 without freezing, and the water temperature in the tank 7 is further lowered. The next time water is sprinkled, the water temperature will have dropped further, so F
At a point, the temperature reaches, for example, -1°C, but since it flows down without freezing, it eventually becomes supercooled and generates muddy ice or flocculent water.

The structure conventionally used as an improvement means for removing the muddy ice or flocculent water mentioned above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-53668.
Publication No. 58-15706, Utility Model Publication No. 1988-15706
It is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2574, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-2575, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 57-142467.

That is, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-55668 supplies a portion of the ice-making water before flowing down to the unfrozen ice-making water containing muddy or flocculent water after flowing down the ice-making plate. They were trying to eliminate the muddy or flocculent water that had formed. Furthermore, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-15706 focuses on peculiar changes in the state quantities of the ice-making mechanism (for example, ice-making water temperature, refrigerant temperature, etc.) that appear before the generation of muddy or flocculent water. This state quantity is detected by a detection means, and based on the output signal, for example, an ice-making water circulation pump is controlled to reduce or stop the circulation amount for a predetermined period of time in order to eliminate muddy or flocculent water. Furthermore, Utsukai Showa 58-25
In the configurations disclosed in No. 74, No. 2575, and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 142467/1987, a retained water section is provided in a part of the ice making section.

C1 Problems to be Solved by the Present Invention None of the conventional configurations described above can be said to be perfect means for preventing the generation of muddy or flocculent water, and they have various problems. was.

In other words, in the structure of JP-A No. 55-53668, it is intended to eliminate muddy or flocculent water after it is generated after the ice plate flows down, so a sufficient effect cannot be expected and the fundamental problem is It was not a viable solution.

Furthermore, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-15706 requires various detection means and control means to detect the state quantity of the ice-making mechanism and to control the ice-making water circulation pump, which makes the configuration itself complicated and increases costs. It became. In addition, because the circulation amount of ice making water is temporarily reduced, ice may freeze due to insufficient circulation, and a white film may form on the surface of the ice.
The appearance of the ice becomes extremely poor due to the unevenness of the ice surface, which poses a problem especially when used for eating and drinking.In addition, as the circulation volume is temporarily reduced, the ice making capacity cannot be fully utilized, and the ice making efficiency is reduced. It was declining.

Furthermore, in the configurations of Utility Model Application Publication Nos. 58-2574, 2575, and 1987-142467, there are cases where the water flow does not stagnate, and it is not always possible to achieve the purpose 100%. There wasn't. In addition, uneven portions were formed on the surface of the ice, resulting in an unsightly appearance and low commercial value.

In each of the conventional configurations described above, when muddy or flocculent water is generated, the water collection gutter 6 is clogged and the water overflows, or the tank 7 also overflows, and a temperature sensor installed on the ice making plate 1 indicates that ice making is complete. In the case of a configuration in which detection is performed by , if the circulation pump or the like is clogged, the water spraying flowing down to the ice-making plate 1 will stop, or the amount of ice-making water will become extremely low.

As a result, the ice-making plate 1 is under an extremely light load, the temperature of the ice-making plate suddenly drops, and a serious problem arises in that an ice-making completion signal is generated even though no ice has been formed.

Further, when muddy or flocculent water is generated, opaque ice is formed on the ice plate 8 during the initial stage of ice making when there is no water or very little ice making water on the ice plate 1, and the surface of the ice plate 8 is The appearance was extremely unsightly as it became cloudy and uneven, reducing its commercial value as a food or drink product. Incidentally, such a phenomenon is a common problem regardless of the means used to complete ice making.

d. Means for solving the problems The purpose of the present invention is to provide extremely effective means for quickly eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks.
The gist of the present invention to achieve this object is that in a water circulation ice making machine that circulates ice making water to an ice making plate cooled by a cooling pipe to make ice, the cooling pipe provided on the ice making plate is An ice growth promoting part is formed in a part of the ice making part to cool the part of the ice making part faster than the other part, and the ice growth promoting part cools the part of the ice making part faster than the other part. This is a water circulation type ice maker configured to grow ice.

86 Effect: The ice growth promoting section provided in a part of the cooling pipe (specifically, consisting of a vertical cooling pipe, a configuration of a plurality of cooling pipes close together, a corrugated cooling pipe, a flat cooling pipe, etc.) Before the entire tank water reaches a supercooled state, a part of the ice-making plate is cooled faster than other parts to form ice nuclei, and these ice nuclei cause normal ice to grow on the entire ice-making plate.

f. Embodiments Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the water circulation ice maker according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the same or equivalent parts as in the conventional example will be described using the same reference numerals.

Figures 1 and 2 show a first diagram of a water circulation ice maker according to the present invention.
This shows an embodiment, and what is indicated by the reference numeral 1 in the drawings is an ice-making plate that constitutes a part of the ice-making section 1b, and this ice-making plate 1 is made of a metal with good thermal conductivity such as copper, and The cooling pipes 2 are composed of a pair of pipes arranged in a substantially vertical manner, and the cooling pipes 2 are formed by bending a metal pipe with good thermal conductivity such as copper into a serpentine shape, and are attached to the back surface of each ice-making plate 1 by a heat-conducting coupling means such as welding. It is being

The upper portions of each of the ice-making plates 1 are connected to each other by a mountain-shaped connecting portion 3, and a water sprinkler pipe 4 is disposed above the connecting portion 3. A large number of small holes 5 are formed in the water sprinkler pipe 4, and the ice-making water sprinkled from each of the small holes 5 flows down onto the ice-making surface 1a of each ice-making plate 1 via the connecting portion 3.

The ice-making water flowing down each ice-making surface 1a is collected in a water collection gutter 6 disposed at a lower position of each ice-making plate 1, and after being collected in a tank 7, a suitable circulation pump (not shown) is collected. )
The water is then pressure-fed again to the sprinkler pipe 4, and the water circuit described above constitutes a water circulation system. Furthermore, each ice making plate 1
A de-icing water pipe 9 having a small hole 10 is disposed at the upper part of the ice-making plate 1, and can supply de-icing water to the back side of each ice-making plate 1 during the de-icing process.

The cooling pipe 2 is connected to be cooled by a condensing unit consisting of a compressor, a condenser, etc. (not shown). An ice growth promoting portion 2a is provided in which the tube 2 is bent more tightly than other portions.

Since the cooling pipes 2 are denser than other parts, the temperature of the ice growth promoting part 2a is lower than that of the portion of the ice making plate 1 other than the ice growth promoting part 2a.

Next, a case will be described in which ice is made by operating the water circulation type ice maker according to the present invention in the above configuration.The ice making process is started, the ice making water is cooled, and the ice making surface of the ice making plate 1 is heated. Temperature 1a is on the verge of freezing (o ℃ ~ 2 ℃
), in the conventional configuration, the ice-making water was cooled uniformly, so the freezing latent heat (90 cal/, 9) of the water could not be taken away from the ice-making water at once, resulting in a supercooled state. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the ice-making surface 1c corresponding to the ice growth promoting section 2a is particularly cooled compared to the other ice-making surfaces 1a, so that the temperature of the circulating water reaches a supercooled state or slightly When entering the supercooled state, the ice growth promoting part 2a
A thin ice film 8a that comes into contact with water grows on the ice making surface 1C.

Therefore, by forming the thin ice film 8a on the ice making surface 1C, normal ice grows around the thin ice film 8a, thereby preventing the formation of muddy or flocculent ice.

Next, the thin ice film 8 that becomes a nucleus is formed by the ice growth promoting portion 2a described above.
The state in which a is formed will be described in more detail.

In Figure 2, for example, if point F is particularly cooled, and the temperature on the verge of freezing at points yl, Fll, F... is approximately 0°C, and if point F is cooled to 12°C, the water temperature will be The lower the temperature, the more water will freeze. Therefore, freezing is possible if the large amount of heat required for freezing is taken only from the water around point F, so the water begins to freeze immediately at point F. That is, as described above, since the thin ice film 8a, which is the core of ice growth, can be grown on the ice making surface IC of the ice making plate 1, the generation of muddy or flocculent ice can be effectively prevented.

Also, as a matter of course, the formation of muddy or flocculent ice is extremely subtle, so even at the above-mentioned point F, a supercooled state may occur, resulting in the formation of muddy or flocculent ice. Sometimes. However, the formation of muddy or flocculent ice that occurs in this way is limited to the area around point F (in other words, since point F is particularly cooled and the temperature is low, it does not occur around that part. , Fl at other ice-making surfaces, y
ll and Fll points have not reached a supercooled state to the extent that pure water, etc. is generated), and are extremely small-scale, and even if they occur, they will quickly flow down to tank 7 and melt. . In other words, in the unlikely event that small-scale muddy or flocculent ice
As a result of experiments, it has been found that even if ice forms in a spot, muddy or flocculent ice does not form in the tank 7 or the entire water circulation line, and there is no practical problem at all.

The ice growth promoting section 2a is most preferably disposed on the ice making plate 1 at a position where the temperature of the ice making water is lowest. By providing a part of the ice-making plate 1 with a part that has a particularly high cooling effect, the water temperature distribution on the ice-making plate 1 will be partially low.
Even if the water temperature in other parts of the ice-making plate 1 has not reached about 0°C, the water temperature near the ice growth promoting section 2a is set to reach a temperature sufficiently low to freeze, that is, below 0°C. It is composed of

Therefore, the ice-making water spouted from the small holes 5 of the water sprinkler 4 flows down the ice-making plate 1 while being gradually cooled, so that the water temperature is lowest at the bottom of the ice-making plate 1, so that the ice grows. The promoting portion 2a is most preferably disposed at the bottom of the ice-making plate 1.

Also, considering the flow of refrigerant gas, the cooling effect of the refrigerant gas flowing into the cooling pipe 2 is highest near the inlet portion 2b, as shown by the arrow It is most preferable to arrange the refrigerant gas at a position near the inlet side 2b of the cooling pipe 2.

Further, the configuration shown in FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment as another embodiment of the ice growth promoting section 2a in the water circulation type ice maker according to the present invention. This further improves the cooling effect of the ice growth promoting section 2a in the first embodiment.

The structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 shows a third embodiment as another embodiment of the ice growth promoting section 2a in the water circulation type ice maker according to the present invention, and the overall shape is formed into a flat shape. ing. In other words, by flattening the ice making plate 1
Since the area of contact with the cooling pipe 2 is larger than that of other parts of the cooling pipe 2, the cooling effect can be enhanced more than that of other parts.

Furthermore, the configurations shown in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8 show fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments as other embodiments of the ice growth promoting section 2a in the water circulation ice maker according to the present invention. The common purpose of each of the above-mentioned embodiments is to install the vertical ice growth promoting section 2 in the vertical direction in the same direction as the flowing direction of the ice-making water.
It is provided for the purpose of having the same effect as the ice growth promoting part 2a, and it can be said that the effect is even better than that of the ice growth promoting part 2a. That is, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the cooling pipe 2 is formed by winding approximately in a square shape along the square shape of the ice-making plate 1.
An ice growth promoting section 2a is provided at the bottom of the ice making plate 1, and a vertical ice growth promoting section 2c formed vertically is provided on the right side of the ice making plate 1.

In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a part of the cooling pipe 2 is formed vertically on the left side of the ice-making plate 1, and a vertical ice growth promoting section 2c is provided.

In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a folded vertical ice growth promoting section 2c is provided on the right side of the ice making plate 1.

In each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4, 7, and 8, the water flowing down from the small holes 5 of the water sprinkler 4 flows through the cooling pipe 2.
There are a water stream flowing down orthogonally to the water stream, and a water stream E flowing down along the longitudinal ice growth promoting portion 2c of the cooling pipe 2. In this case, the water stream is only cooled in stages by the cooling pipe 2, but since the water stream E is continuously cooled by the ice growth promotion part 2c, the water stream E is better cooled than the water stream. This makes it possible to partially cool a portion of the ice-making water more effectively.

Further, by adopting a so-called counterflow type in which the flow direction of the refrigerant gas is opposite to the flow direction of the water flow E, the effect can be further improved. This counter-flow type is a technology often used in refrigeration circuits, in which the coolant (refrigerant gas in the present invention) flows in opposite directions to the object to be cooled (ice making water in the present invention). As a result, the temperature difference between the object to be cooled and the object to be cooled can always be kept large, resulting in extremely high transmission efficiency.

Furthermore, if the flow rate of the water stream E is made smaller than the flow rate of the water stream, an even more efficient cooling effect can be obtained. 5, only the part corresponding to the water flow E, other small holes 5
This can be achieved extremely easily by making the diameter smaller than the diameter of . In addition, as another means of achieving this, the pitch of the small holes 5 in the water flow section is made small, and the small holes 5 of the water flow E are reduced in pitch.
Also by increasing the pitch of the water flow E, the flow rate of the water flow E can be made lower than that of the water flow.

Note that the ice growth promoting portion 2a and the longitudinal ice growth promoting portion 2 described above
Regarding the shape of c, the same effect can be obtained even if the configuration is not limited to those disclosed in each of the embodiments, but is slightly modified, and is not included within the scope of the present invention. This goes without saying.

6. Effects of the Invention Since the water circulation type ice maker according to the present invention has the above-described configuration and operation, it can produce various innovative effects as described below.

(1) The generation of muddy or flocculent ice can be prevented with a simple configuration without requiring any additional parts.

(2) Because it is possible to create transparent crosspieces on the ice making surface,
It is possible to obtain ice that is extremely transparent, has a smooth skin, and has high commercial value.

(3) Unlike conventional methods, there is no need to temporarily stop or reduce the ice-making water flow, so it is possible to prevent the formation of muddy or flocculent ice while maintaining normal ice-making conditions. There is no decrease in ice making capacity.

(4) Unlike conventional methods, there is no need to provide water retention means such as holes or recesses. It is possible to obtain ice with an extremely smooth surface.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 8 show preferred embodiments of the water circulation type ice maker according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is the configuration of FIG. 3 is a front view showing the second embodiment, FIG. 4 is a front view showing the fourth embodiment, FIG. 5 is a front view showing the third embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a front view showing the third embodiment. 5 is a side sectional view taken along the G-Gl line, FIG. 7 is a front view showing the fifth embodiment, FIG. 8 is a front view showing the sixth embodiment, and FIGS. 9 and 10. 1 is a side sectional view and a front view showing a water circulation ice maker having a conventional configuration. 1 is an ice-making plate, 1a is an ice-making surface, 1C is an ice-making surface, 1b is an ice-making part, 2 is a cooling pipe, 2a is an ice growth promoting part, 2b is a vertical ice growth promoting part, 4 is a watering pipe, 7 is a tank, 8 is ice, and 8a is a thin ice film. Patent applicant: Hoshizaki Electric Co., Ltd. Figure 1

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In a water circulation ice maker that makes ice by circulating ice making water through an ice making plate (1) cooled by a cooling pipe (2), the cooling pipe (2) provided on the ice making plate (1) An ice growth promoting part (2a) or (2c) for cooling a part of the ice making plate (1) faster than other parts is formed in a part of the ice making plate (1), and the ice growth promoting part (2a) or (2c) A water circulation type ice making machine characterized in that the ice making plate (1) is configured so that ice grows faster in a part of the ice making plate (1) than in other parts. (2) The ice growth promoting section (2a) or (2c) is formed by the cooling pipe (2) arranged vertically along the flow of ice-making water flowing down on the ice-making plate (1). A water circulation ice making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: (3) The ice growth promoting section (2a) or (2c) has a configuration in which a plurality of the cooling pipes (2) are arranged close to each other. Water circulation ice maker as described in section. (4) The water circulation system according to claim 1, wherein the ice growth promoting section (2a) or (2c) has a configuration in which the cooling pipe (2) is formed in a wave shape. Ice machine. (5) The water circulation according to claim 1, wherein the ice growth promoting section (2a) or (2c) has a configuration in which the cooling pipe (2) is formed in a flat shape. Type ice maker.