Abnormality detecting method for automatic ice making machine

Abstract

Disclosed is an abnormality detecting method for an automatic ice making machine that can quickly detect an abnormality to delay an ice-making time or an abnormality to shorten the ice-making time, if occurred. A down flow type ice making machine includes two ice making units, one control means, and an ice storage room. Each ice making unit has an ice making part, an ice-making water tank that stores ice-making water, a circulation pump that feeds the ice-making water stored in the ice-making water tank to the ice making part, and a float switch that detects the amount of the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank. Upon elapse of a preset first abnormality occurring time from a time of first detection of an ice-making complete water level by the float switch in any one of the ice making units, when the float switch in any one of the other ice making units has not detected the ice-making complete water level, the control means decides that an abnormality has occurred in the ice making unit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to an abnormality detecting method for an automatic ice making machine, and, more particularly, to an abnormality detecting method for an automatic ice making machine having a plurality of ice making units each of which circulates ice-making water stored in an ice-making water tank to an ice making part to produce ice blocks.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]A down flow type automatic ice making machine (hereinafter “down flow type ice making machine”) that causes ice-making water to flow to an ice making part to produce ice blocks is known as an automatic ice making machine that is placed in a kitchen or the like in a restaurant to continuously produce ice. Such down flow type ice making machines include one having a plurality of ice making units with an ice making part and an ice-making water tank, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-69181. FIG. 4 is a schem...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In a case where large ice blocks or connected ice are produced by the aforementioned occurrence of an abnormality, even if those ice blocks can be deiced by the deicing operation, the ice blocks may be caught by the ice guide plate 20. Then, in the ice making unit 10 where the abnormality has occurred, part of unfrozen water to be collected into the ice-making water tank 24 from the ice making part 14 flows down through the ice blocks on the ice guide plate 20 and falls down into the ice storage room 34 or the like, and may be collected into the ice-making water tank 24. As a result, the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank 24 decreases sooner, so that the ice making unit 10 where the abnormality has occurred detects the ice-making complete water level in a short period of time. According to the conventional abnormality detecting method, however, even when the ice making time is shortened this way, the control means 38 does not make an abnormality decision unless the ice making time exceeds the abnormal delay time, and keeps performing the operation. In other words, the conventional abnormality detecting method has a drawback that an abnormality which shortens the ice making time cannot be detected.

[0013]Accordingly, the invention addresses the foregoing inherent problems of the related art, and it is an object of the invention to provide an abnormality detecting method for an automatic ice making machine that can detect an abnormality which delays or shortens the ice making time at an early stage.

[0016]The abnormality detecting method for an automatic ice making machine according to the invention can quickly detect an abnormality which delays or shortens the ice making time.

Problems solved by technology

However, the conventional abnormality detecting method needs to set the abnormal delay time as large as possible in order to prevent a slight delay of the ice making time from being erroneously detected as an abnormality.

When an abnormality is detected by the conventional method, therefore, large ice blocks or connected ice may often be produced at the ice making part 14 already, so that the recovery takes time, resulting in an increase in the maintenance cost.

In addition, ice blocks may deform or damage the ice making plate 16 or the like.

That is, the conventional method has a shortcoming that an abnormality cannot be detected until production of abnormal ice blocks progresses considerably.

In other words, the conventional abnormality detecting method has a drawback that an abnormality which shortens the ice making time cannot be detected.

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