Patent ID: 7444829

Claim:
An automatic ice making machine which comprises an evaporator ( 14 ) and electric heating means (H 1 to HN) in an ice making section ( 10 ), configured so that a coolant is circulatingly supplied through said evaporator ( 14 ) so as to cool said ice making section ( 10 ) and ice making water is supplied to the ice making section ( 10 ) so as to form an ice block (M) during ice making operation while heat is generated in said heating means (H 1 to HN) by applying current so as to remove the ice block (M) from said ice making section ( 10 ) by melting during deicing operation, wherein said ice making section ( 10 ) is configured by arranging a plurality of vertically extending ice making members ( 11 ) ibso that the ice making members are horizontally adjacent to each other; each of said ice making members ( 11 ) is composed of a metal plate ( 12 a ) to which said evaporator ( 14 ) is fixed, the heating means (H 1 to HN),and an insulating layer ( 12 b ) lying between the metal plate ( 12 a ) and the heating means (H 1 to HN) such that said metal plate ( 12 a ), heating means (H 1 to HN) and insulating layer ( 12 b ) are provided in layers, thus forming an ice making area (A) which is formed in generally U-shaned in transverse section and vertically extends; and an external outline of said heating means (H 1 to HN) is configured so as to be located inside an external outline of said insulating layer ( 12 b ), and said heating means (H 1 to HN) are provided only in an area where ice making water streams down in said ice making area (A).