Electric control apparatus for ice making machine

Abstract

An electric control apparatus for an ice making machine having an upright ice making plate arranged above a water tank, a water valve arranged to be opened during the defrost cycle of operation for supplying fresh water into the water tank through the ice making plate, a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator arranged for thermal exchange with the ice making plate, a water pump arranged to circulate the fresh water from the water tank to the upright ice making plate during the ice making cycle of operation and to discharge the water remained in the water tank after the ice making cycle of operation during the drain cycle of operation. The electric control apparatus includes mean for repetitively conducting the defrost cycle of operation, the ice making cycle of operation and the drain cycle of operation in sequence, means for counting up a cycle count value at each time of conducting the ice making cycle of operation, means for selecting a discharge frequency of the water remained in the water tank, and means for prohibiting the drain cycle of operation when the cycle count value is less than a reference value indicative of the selected discharge frequency and for allowing the drain cycle of operation when the cycle count value becomes equal to the reference value.