Abstract: An auger type ice-making machine of the present invention comprises an ice-making cylinder which accommodates an auger rotatably in the interior thereof, an ice compression head which supports the upper end portion of the auger rotatably, and which is disposed in the upper portion of the ice-making cylinder, and a cast-in heater which is attached to the outer peripheral surface of an accommodating portion for the ice compression head of the ice-making cylinder. According to the present invention, the use of a cast-in heater enables heat to be reliably transmitted to the ice compression head, whereby the compressed ice can be melted and ice can be discharged smoothly.

Abstract: An auger type ice-making machine of the present invention comprises a tubular freezer casing which has an ice-making cylinder that rotatably accommodates an auger inside, an ice compression head which rotatably supports the upper end of the auger, a housing which rotatably supports the lower end of the auger, and a geared motor which is connected to the lower part of the housing. The geared motor drives the auger rotationally. And the auger type ice-making machine of the present invention further comprises a flange which constitutes an attachment base for the ice discharge tube attached to the upper part of the freezer casing. The flange is fastened to the ice-making cylinder by means of bolts that also fasten the ice compression head to the inside of the ice-making cylinder.

Abstract: A refrigeration apparatus comprises a machine chamber for containing a compressor, a condenser and others, and a display chamber for accommodating articles to be displayed. The display chamber is constituted by an inner box and an outer box between which a cooling air passage is defined. Defined internally of the machine chamber is a cooler chamber enclosed substantially by a heat insulating material in such a manner as to communicate with the cooling air passage. Disposed within the cooler chamber is a cooling air circulating device and a cooler for causing the cooling air to circulate through the cooling air passage and back to the cooler chamber.

Abstract: An ice making machine comprises an ice storage section and an ice making machinery section disposed on the ice storage section through a bottom plate having an opening therein. The machinery section includes an ice discharge chute that extends downwardly through the opening and opens into the interior of the ice storage section. The bottom plate is provided with an upwardly concaved recess in which the opening is formed. The ice discharge chute projects through the opening to a depth smaller than that of the recess.

Abstract: A rotary cutter for an auger type ice making machine mounted on a rotatable shaft thereof comprises a plurality of cutter blades for cutting ice rods extruded from ice compressing passages into ice pellets or chips. Some of the cutter blades are integrally provided at an upper edge portion thereof with an ice feeding blade having an inclination relative to the center axis of the cutter which is smaller than that of the associated cutter blade. Owing to the provision of the ice feeding blades, the ice chips resulting from the cutting are prevented from staying at the upper edge portions of the cutter blades. As compression of ice between the cutter blades does not effectually take take between the cutter blades, the ice is not unncessarily hardened, facilitating extrusion of ice from the cutter.

Abstract: A refrigerant piping system for a refrigeration machine includes an injection pipe connected at one end thereof with the suction port of a compressor and at the other end with the outlet port of a condenser. The injection pipe is provided with a solenoid valve for suppressing a coolant from flowing into the compressor during a heating operation of the machine. By closing the solenoid valve during the heating operation, the liquid coolant is prevented from flowing into the compressor through the injection pipe.

Abstract: An ice making machine has an ice making unit including an evaporator, a water tank for containing raw water to be iced, a water distributor for supplying the water to the ice making unit, a circulation pump in fluid communication with the water tank and the water distributor for supplying water from the water tank to the water distributor during an icing operation, a water supply system for supplying water to the water tank, a sub-tank fluidly communicated with the water tank, and a water level control device disposed within the sub-tank for monitoring the water level therein to detect a predetermined water level. A flushing pipe for supplying a washing water to the sub-tank is connected thereto through an air supply device.

Abstract: A defrosting apparatus comprises a housing defining therein a frozen food storage space. Within the housing, air is heated and supplied to the storage space through a hot-air entrance passage formed between a side wall of the housing and one of paired shelf receiving members which cooperate to define the storage space. The hot-air entrance passage incorporates a guide plate having a communication aperture provided at a lower end. The guide plate cooperates with the side wall of the housing and one of the shelf receiving members to force the hot air fed from a ventilating fan to flow first downwardly along the hot-air inlet passage. The hot-air flow is then changed in the flow direction upon passing through the communication aperture so as to flow upwardly. In the course of flowing upwardly, the hot air is fed into the storage space successively through a plurality of inlet ports formed in one of the shelf receiving members.

Abstract: A heat insulation container includes an inner casing, an outer casing on the exterior thereof and enclosing the inner casing and defining a space therebetween in cooperation with the inner casing, and a heat insulating foamed material filling the space defined by the casings. An aperture portion is provided in the container through a wall thereof for allowing a piping of a cooling system to go in and out of the container therethrough. The aperture portion is provided with a frame therearound which comprises an annular resilient contacting member brought into hermetical sealing contact with the inner surface of either the inner casing or the outer casing in the vicinity of a periphral edge of the mouth, and an annular tong-like member engaging sealingly with the other of the inner casing and the outer casing.

Abstract: An automatic ice manufacturing apparatus comprises an ice making unit for manufacturing ice in an icing operation cycle, a water tank disposed below the ice making unit for storing water to undergo phase transformation into ice on the ice making unit, a first water spray tube disposed above the ice making unit for spraying the water onto the ice making unit, a water circulating conduit interconnecting the first water spray tube and the water tank, a circulating pump mounted in the circulating conduit for circulating the water between the water tank and the ice making unit, and an overflow pipe disposed within the water tank for controlling the highest water level within the water tank.

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: A refrigerating system for an ice making machine includes an external equalizer expansion valve having a pressure equalizing tube connected to an exit of an evaporator tube. A pressure adjusting pipe which becomes conductive only in deicing cycle is branched from the pressure equalizing tube and connected to the discharge side of a compressor. An on-off valve is installed in the pressure adjusting pipe and controllably communicated with a hot gas valve in a hot gas pipe so that both the valves are opened and closed simultaneously. Namely, when the hot gas valve is opened for carrying out the deicing cycle operation, the on-off valve of the pressure adjusting pipe is opened, while the expansion valve remains closed. In an ice making operation cycle during which the hot gas valve is closed, the on-off valve of the pressure adjusting pipe is also closed. Thus, the expansion valve is optimally opened and closed for adjusting the amount of the coolant supply.

Abstract: An ice making machine comprises an ice forming member, a water tank for storing ice forming water to be supplied to the ice forming member, a water distribution pipe for supplying ice forming water onto the ice forming member, a first pipe having one end connected to the water distribution pipe, and a circulating pump having an intake port communicated to the water tank. The circulating pump is of a reversible rotation type and includes a first discharge port connected to the other end of the first pipe for delivering ice forming water to the ice forming member during an ice production cycle, and a second discharge port connected to a second pipe for discharging water from the water tank to a location other than the water distribution pipe during a deicing cycle. The location at which the second pipe discharge water can be a defreezing water distribution pipe for supplying defreezing water for removal of ice or a drain conduit in fluid communication with the exterior of the ice making machine.

Abstract: An ice making machine comprises an ice forming plate having an ice forming surface formed with a plurality of convex portions to define ice forming regions between adajcent ones of the convex portions, a water distributor having a plurality of orifices for spraying deicing water over the surface of the ice forming plate opposite the ice forming surface to remove ice produced on the ice forming regions, and a pair of supporting members connected to the ice forming plate at both lateral ends thereof. V-shaped gaps are present between the supporting members and the lateral ends of the ice forming plate, where unwanted ice grows. The water distributor is provided with, in addition to the deicing water spray orifices, auxiliary water spray orifices for directing the deicing water to the junctions between the supporting members and the ends of the ice forming plate and/or the V-shaped gaps themselves.

Abstract: A refrigerating apparatus comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and a evaporator which are interconnected serially through a pipeline to form a closed circulation circuit. A check valve allowing a coolant flow only toward the condenser is provided between the discharge port of the compressor and the condenser. A hot gas bypass circuit is connected at one end to a junction between the compressor and the check valve and at the other end to a junction between the expansion valve and the evaporator. The check valve serves to prevent backflow of coolant to the hot gas bypass circuit during the hot gas operation mode without hindering the flow of the coolant gas through the closed circulation circuit during the normal refrigerating operation.

Abstract: An auger-type ice making machine has a refrigerating cylinder having upper and lower bearings, an auger supported rotatably within the refrigerating cylinder by the upper and lower bearings, a water supply valve for supplying water to the refrigerating cylinder, a drain valve in fluid communication with the refrigerating cylinder for discharging water therefrom, an electric detector assembly including an electrode member having its one end extending into the refrigerating cylinder, and an electric control circuit electrically connected to the electrode member to receive a detection signal from the electric detector assembly. The electric control circuit determines on the basis of the detection signal that the impurity concentration of the water has increased beyond a predetermined level.

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: A refrigerating apparatus includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator interconnected in that order. A hot gas bypass pipeline with a solenoid valve is connected at one end between the compressor and the condenser and at the other end between the expansion valve and the compressor. A temperature detecting switch detects a temperature of the piping between the discharge side of the evaporator and the intake side of the compressor. The temperature at which the detection switch can respond is set at a predetermined value at which no influence is exerted on components of the apparatus formed of thermoplastic resin. When the temperature at the intake side of the compressor rises to the predetermined value, the detecting switch detects this predetermined value to cause the compressor to stop operating.

Abstract: An ice dispensing apparatus includes an ice dispensing lever which causes an ice dispensing signal to be produced when pressed, whereby an ice dispensing auger is driven for a period during which the ice dispensing signal is produced under the action of a relay (X.sub.5). In response to the ice dispensing signal, a motor for driving an agitator installed within an ice storage chamber is driven for a first period (t.sub.1) and then stopped. The rest state of the agitator driving motor is maintained until an integrated value resulting from integration of periods during which the ice dispensing signal is generated has attained the length of a second period (t.sub.2). After the lapse of the second period (t.sub.2), the agitator can be driven in response to subsequent generation of the ice dispensing signal.

Abstract: A defrosting apparatus including a housing defining a space for accommodating therein articles to be defrosted, a heater for heating the air within the housing, and an air circulation fan for circulating the heated air so that it flows through the space. The apparatus further includes a first temperature sensor disposed on the air outlet side of the circulation fan for sensing the temperature of the outlet air flowing out from the circulation fan to produce a first detection signal, a second temperature sensor disposed at the air inlet side of the circulation fan for detecting the temperature of the air flowing into the circulation fan to produce a second detection signal and a controller coupled to the first and second sensors for receiving the first and second detection signals, respectively, to thereby control the operation of the defrosting apparatus.