Patent ID: 9146049
Filing Date: 2015-09-29
Classification: F25C,F25D

Abstract:
1. An automatic ice making machine comprising: an ice making unit where ice making water is supplied to an evaporator that is cooled during an ice making operation to produce ice, and where deicing water is supplied from an external water source to the evaporator that is heated during a deicing operation to separate the ice; an ice making water tank that supplies ice making water to the ice making unit and that collects ice making water that flows down from the ice making unit during the ice making operation; a water feeding valve that feeds ice making water from the external water source to the ice making water tank; a deicing timer that measures a deicing completion time period from a start of the deicing operation until separation of ice on the ice making unit; and a control circuit that compares the deicing completion time period with a deicing base elapsed time period that is previously stored in the control circuit, wherein when the deicing completion time period is equal to or longer than the deicing base elapsed time period, the control circuit determines that a temperature of the deicing water is lower than a predetermined base temperature, and controls the water feeding valve so that a certain amount of ice making water required at a low temperature is supplied from the external water source to the ice making water tank, when the deicing completion time period is shorter than the deicing base elapsed time period, the control circuit determines that the temperature of the deicing water is higher than the predetermined base temperature, and controls the water feeding valve so that an amount of ice making water greater than the certain amount of ice making water required at the low temperature is supplied from the external water source to the ice making water tank, the ice making water tank has a float switch that detects a lower water level of ice making water and an upper water level of ice making water, the control circuit has a delay timer that measures a first delay time period, when the temperature of the deicing water is lower than the predetermined base temperature, the control circuit controls the water feeding valve to start supply of ice making water to the ice making water tank when the float switch detects the lower water level and to stop supply of ice making water to the ice making water tank when the float switch detects the upper water level, and when the temperature of the deicing water is higher than the predetermined base temperature, the control circuit controls the water feeding valve to start supply of ice making water to the ice making water tank when the float switch detects the lower water level and to stop supply of ice making water to the ice making water tank when the first delay time period measured by the delay timer has elapsed counting from a time that the float switch detects the upper water level.