Flow-down type ice making machine and method of manufacturing ice making rack of the flow-down type ice making machine

Abstract

A flow-down type ice making machine includes an ice making unit and an ice making water supply tube. The ice making unit includes a refrigerant tube connected to a refrigerating machine, air-tightly circulating a refrigerant therein, an ice making rack configured to support the refrigerant tube, including ice molds formed along an outer periphery of the refrigerant tube, an ice making water flow-down portion connected to an upper part of the ice making rack, causing ice making water to flow down to the ice making rack, and an ice cube release member turned about axis thereof parallel with an axis of the refrigerant tube to release each of ice cubes formed on the ice molds. The ice making water supply tube supplies ice making water to the ice making water flow-down portion, and is formed by removably coupling a plurality of ice making cells.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flow-down type ice making machine comprising:
 an ice making unit including:   a refrigerant tube connected to a refrigerating machine, the refrigerant tube configured to air-tightly circulate a refrigerant therein;   an ice making rack configured to support the refrigerant tube, including ice molds formed along an outer periphery of the refrigerant tube;   an ice making water flow-down portion connected to an upper part of the ice making rack, the ice making water flow-down portion configured to cause ice making water to flow down to the ice making rack; and   ice cube release member turned about axis thereof parallel with an axis of the refrigerant tube to release each of ice cubes formed on the ice molds; and   an ice making water supply tube configured to supply ice making water to the ice making water flow-down portion,   the ice making rack being an ice making rack formed by removably coupling a plurality of ice making cells,   the ice making cells being an ice making cell having a refrigerant tube supporting portion configured to support the refrigerant tube, and a fixing-rod insertion hole having an axis perpendicular to a tube axis direction of the refrigerant tube supported by the refrigerant tube supporting portion.   
     
     
         2 . The flow-down type ice making machine according to claim  1 ,
 wherein each of the ice making cells is an ice making cell having a coupling portion fitted to an adjacent ice making cell.   
     
     
         3 . The flow-down type ice making machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the ice making rack is an ice making rack receiving a fixing rod inserted into the fixing-rod insertion hole of the ice making cell.   
     
     
         4 . The flow-down type ice making machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the ice making rack is an ice making rack formed by coupling at least three ice making cells.   
     
     
         5 . The flow-down type ice making machine according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the ice making rack is an ice making rack formed by coupling at least three ice making cells.   
     
     
         6 . A method of manufacturing an ice making rack of a flow-down type ice making machine according to  claim 3 , the method comprising:
 coupling ice making cells each having a refrigerant tube supporting portion configured to support a refrigerant tube, and a fixing-rod insertion hole having an axis perpendicular to a tube axis direction of the refrigerant tube supported by the refrigerant tube supporting portion; and   inserting a fixing rod into the fixing-rod insertion hole.