Abstract: An auger-type ice making machine includes an ice making barrel, an auger provided in the ice making barrel, an upper bearing and a lower bearing which are provided inside the ice making barrel for supporting the auger rotatably, and a drive unit for rotating the auger. At the bottom end of the ice making barrel, a connecting flange extending outwardly in the radial direction is formed integrally with the ice making barrel by friction welding. The connecting flange is tightened to the top surface of a casing of the drive unit with bolts. A bearing housing of the lower bearing is fixed in the ice making barrel apart from the casing with a bolt which is screwed in the ice making barrel. The bearing housing of the lower bearing may alternatively be fixed by forming an outward flange and a plurality of projections extending outwardly at the bottom end of the bearing housing and by fitting the plurality of projections in a fitting groove of the casing of the drive unit.

Abstract: A bearing structure for an auger-type ice making machine 10 includes an auger 17 having a helical blade 17a which rotates within a cylindrical refrigeration casing 11 so as to scrape off ice generated on the inner surface of the refrigeration casing 11 and push it up and out of the casing. A slide bearing 27 for supports an upper shaft section 17b of the auger 17 and a press head 25 is provided inside the upper end portion of the refrigeration casing 11 and which supports the slide bearing 27. Even if the upper shaft section 17b of the auger 17 and the press head 25 axially relatively move as a result of the scraping oil and feeding-out of the ice, substantially closed first and second foreign matter trapp spaces A and B are formed in close proximity to the lower and upper ends of the slide bearing. Further, a high-hardness metal layer 17f having a thickness, for example, of approximately 0.5 mm is formed on the surface of the upper shaft section 17b of the auger 17.

Abstract: A bearing structure for an auger-type ice making machine 10 includes: an auger 17 having a helical blade 17a which rotates within a cylindrical refrigeration casing 11 so as to scrape off ice generated on the inner surface of the refrigeration casing 11 and push it up and out of the casing; a slide bearing 27 for supporting an upper shaft section 17b of the auger17; and, a press head 25 which is provided inside the upper end portion of the refrigeration casing 11 and which supports the slide bearing 27, wherein even if the upper shaft section 17b of the auger 17 and the press head 25 make an axial relative movement as a result of the scraping off and feeding-out of the ice, substantially closed first and second foreign matter trapp spaces A and B are formed in close proximity to the lower and upper ends of the slide bearing. Further, a high-hardness metal layer 17f having a thickness, for example, of approximately 0.5 mm is formed on the surface of the upper shaft section 17b of the auger 17.

Abstract: When an upper limit float switch Fu is closed after a lower limit float switch Fl is closed according to a rise of the level of water in a water tank 60, a solenoid water valve WV is closed and power supply to an electric motor for driving an auger 40 and a compressor connected to an evaporator 30 is then allowed. When the lower limit float switch Fl is opened, the solenoid water valve WV is opened and power supply to the electric motor and compressor is cut off. When the lower limit float switch Fl is opened, a time set longer by a predetermined time than the time for the water level in the water tank 60 to reach the upper limit from the lower limit is measured. When the lower limit float switch Fl is kept open due to suspension of water supply, the solenoid water valve WV is closed in response to the completion of measurement of the time. This can suppress power consumption of the solenoid water valve WV.

Abstract: An electric control apparatus for an auger type ice making machine having an auger mounted for rotary movement within an evaporator housing to which water is supplied form a water tank to cause ice crystals to form on the internal freezing surface of the evaporator housing.

Abstract: An ice discharging apparatus of an ice dispenser comprises an openable door normally urged resiliently to a closed state by means of a torsion coil spring and adapted to be openable by a door actuator under the control of a control apparatus. The torsion coil spring includes an intermediate coil portion substantially of a cylindrical form and at least one end coil portion having an inner diameter greater than an average diameter of the intermediate coil portion in the unloaded state. The torsion coil spring has at least one arm extending from an end of the coil spring and having an extension secured in contact with a stationary part of the apparatus or a part of the openable door at an intermediate portion thereof and subsequently bent to constitute an inactive portion in which an annular mounting member for mounting the torsion coil spring is formed at the free end thereof.

Abstract: An ice dispenser comprises an ice stroage chamber within which an agitator is rotatably mounted. In response to reception of an ice dispensation signal, a motor for driving the agitator is controlled in a predetermined timing sequence independent of a period during which ice pellets are dispensed from the ice storage chamber by means of an auger and a time interval intervening between the preceeding and succeeding ice dispensing operations. To this end, a first timer for driving first the agitator and a second timer for stopping the agitator for a predetermined period are provided in association with the agitator driving motor.

Abstract: An ice product storage detector which instantaneously detects when the ice products have filled the reservoir to its full capacity or when the amount of ice product in storage has decreased. The ice product storage detector includes a proximity switch provided on a barrier plate of a non-magnetizable material, the barrier plate being provided on the lower part of a base portion of the main body of the auger type ice making device, an ice storage detector plate rotatably mounted about a shaft in the ice product reservoir in positional registration with the proximity switch and which is formed of a low heat capacity and low thermo-conductive material, a pair of inclined plate sections provided on an ice product receiving portion of the ice product storage detector plate, and an auxiliary detector plate formed of a magnetizable material and provided on the ice product storage detector plate so as to be normally parallel to the detective surface of the proximity switch.

Abstract: An auger type ice making apparatus adapted for effectively flushing and removing deepended water and precipitates in the water supply pipe and the freezing cylinder during ice making.

Abstract: A control circuit for an auger type ice maker using a relay which is responsive to a predetermined level of an ice making water in a tank and to of a predetermined level of stored ice, and a timer circuit responsive to the commencement of the ice making cycle which corresponds to the detection of the water level and the completion of the ice making cycle which corresponds to the detection of the ice level, both by the relay. This timer circuit is arranged so that during the starting operation it starts to drive the auger motor at the beginning of the ice making cycle and then after a first predetermined time starts to drive the compressor, and during the stopping operation, it stops the compressor after a second predetermined time after the detection of the completion of the ice making cycle and then after a third predetermined time stops the auger motor. Should a short interruption of the supply of water occur, the timer circuit can ignore it because of its delay time.