CN110546443A

CN110546443A - ice dispenser and refrigerator

Info

Publication number: CN110546443A
Application number: CN201780089555.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 泽田大治; 柴田舞子
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Corp; Mitsubishi Electric Corp
Priority date: 2017-04-25
Filing date: 2017-04-25
Publication date: 2019-12-06
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-25
Also published as: AU2017411700B2; JPWO2018198177A1; WO2018198177A1; CN110546443B; AU2017411700A1; JP6749484B2

Abstract

The ice dispenser (50) is provided with: an ice making unit (20) for making the 1 st ice (110); an ice crushing mechanism (500, 600) for crushing the 1 st ice supplied from the ice making unit to make the 2 nd ice; and a discharge mechanism (37) for discharging the 2 nd ice. The ice making unit (20) has: an ice-making tray (111) provided with a plurality of ice-making cells (112) corresponding to the shape of the 1 st ice; a water supply unit (26) for supplying water to the ice making tray; and a cooling unit (24a) for cooling the water supplied to the ice-making tray. The 1 st ice is any one of ice (110) whose center portion is cavitated, ice (120) having a rectangular parallelepiped shape with one side shorter than the other two sides, and ice (130) having a triangular prism shape. The ice crushing mechanism (500, 600) comprises: a plurality of ice crushing members (501, 502, 601, 602) which are provided with a plurality of surfaces for compressing the 1 st ice and which crush the 1 st ice by narrowing the gap between the surfaces upon receiving a driving force to produce the 2 nd ice; and a driving section (503, 603) for supplying the driving force.

Description

ice dispenser and refrigerator

Technical Field

the present invention relates to an ice dispenser (ice dispenser) and a refrigerator having the same.

Background

Generally, an ice dispenser as an ice supplying device includes an ice making mechanism, an ice crushing mechanism, and an ice discharging mechanism. As a typical ice crushing mechanism, ice is crushed (i.e., crushed) by applying a large force to the ice by pinching the ice with a fixed blade and a rotating blade having a blade structure, thereby producing crushed ice. However, even if a sharp rotary blade is used, the ice may not be broken, and the rotation of the rotary blade and the operation of the driving mechanism for supplying the rotational force to the rotary blade may be stopped by the unfractured ice. As a countermeasure, patent document 1 proposes the following apparatus: when the rotary knife rotates in the normal direction and the drive mechanism is unexpectedly stopped, the operation of rotating the rotary knife in the normal direction again after rotating the rotary knife in the reverse direction is repeated.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5094647

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

however, in the device of patent document 1, since a blade structure for applying a local large force to the ice cubes is provided, it is necessary to adopt a structure in which the blade edge of the blade structure is not touched by the user.

Further, since the blade edge of the blade structure that applies a large force to ice has a relatively thin shape, the blade edge may be broken (i.e., broken).

Further, when the rotation of the rotary blade is stopped by the unfragmented ice, an excessive load is applied to the drive mechanism, and a failure is likely to occur.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ice dispenser and a refrigerator that can crush ice using an ice crushing mechanism without a blade structure, and are less likely to cause damage to components and failure of a driving mechanism.

Means for solving the problems

an ice dispenser according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an ice making part making 1 st ice; an ice crushing mechanism for crushing the 1 st ice supplied from the ice making unit to make a 2 nd ice; and a discharge unit that discharges the 2 nd ice, the ice making unit including: an ice-making tray provided with a plurality of ice-making cells corresponding to the shape of the 1 st ice; a water supply path for supplying water to the ice-making tray; and a cooling unit that cools water supplied to the ice-making tray, wherein the 1 st ice is any one of ice having a hollow center portion, rectangular parallelepiped ice having one side shorter than the other two sides, and triangular prism ice, and the ice-crushing mechanism includes: a plurality of ice crushing members having a plurality of surfaces for pinching the 1 st ice, the ice crushing members being configured to crush the 1 st ice to produce the 2 nd ice by receiving a driving force to narrow an interval between the surfaces; and a driving part which provides the driving force to at least one of the plurality of ice-crushing members.

A refrigerator according to another aspect of the present invention includes the ice dispenser.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, since ice of a structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making mechanism to the ice crushing mechanism, the ice can be crushed by the pinching of the face by the ice crushing member. In this way, ice can be crushed without using a blade structure, and therefore, there is an effect that the member for crushing ice is less likely to be broken.

Further, since the ice making mechanism supplies ice of a structure that is easily broken to the ice crushing mechanism, it is difficult to apply an excessive load to the driving mechanism of the ice crushing mechanism, and there is an effect that the ice crushing mechanism is less likely to malfunction.

drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view schematically showing the structure (when the door is closed) of an ice dispenser and a refrigerator according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view schematically illustrating the structure (when the door is opened) of the icemaker and the refrigerator shown in fig. 1.

fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a sectional structure of the icemaker and the refrigerator shown in fig. 1 cut by a line III-III.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a sectional structure of the icemaker and the refrigerator shown in fig. 1 cut by a line IV-IV.

fig. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a control system of the ice dispenser according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the ice making unit of the ice dispenser according to embodiment 1.

fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ice making unit of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 2 of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ice making unit of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ice making unit of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 4 of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a main part of an ice crushing mechanism of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 5 of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a main part of an ice crushing mechanism of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 6.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an ice dispenser and a refrigerator including the same according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1 (1).

1-1 refrigerator 1.

Fig. 1 is a front view schematically showing the structure (when doors 11a and 11b are closed) of an ice dispenser 50 and a refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing the structure (when the doors 11a and 11b are opened) of the ice dispenser 50 and the refrigerator 1 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing a sectional structure of the refrigerator 1 shown in fig. 1 cut by a line III-III. In the drawings, the dimensions, the dimensional ratios, the shapes, the arrangements, and the like of the members are merely examples, and may be modified.

The refrigerator 1 has a heat-insulated box body having a front face (front face) opened and forming a storage space inside. The heat insulation box body comprises an outer box made of steel, an inner box made of resin and a heat insulation material filled in a space between the outer box and the inner box. The storage space formed inside the heat-insulating box is divided by one or more partition members to form a plurality of storage compartments for storing food. For example, the plurality of storage compartments include a refrigerating compartment 10, a freezing compartment 41, and a vegetable compartment 42. In the illustrated example, the plurality of storage compartments are arranged in order of refrigerating compartment 10, freezing compartment 41, and vegetable compartment 42 from above. The type, number, arrangement, and shape of the storage compartments included in the refrigerator 1 are not limited to the illustrated examples.

The refrigerating compartment 10 is opened and closed at its front opening by doors 11a and 11 b. An operation panel 6 is provided on the front surface side of the door 11a, and the operation panel 6 includes an operation unit capable of performing various input operations such as setting of the temperature of each storage room and a display unit capable of displaying various information such as the current temperature. The operation unit includes, for example, an operation switch, and the display unit is, for example, a liquid crystal display. The operation panel 6 may be a touch panel in which an operation portion is integrally formed on a display portion. Further, door grooves 12 are provided inside the doors 11a and 11 b. Further, the refrigerating compartment 10 is provided with a fresh air compartment 13.

The front openings of the freezing chamber 41 and the vegetable chamber 42 are opened and closed by a drawer type door. These drawer type doors move in the depth direction (front-rear direction) of refrigerator 1 by sliding a frame fixed to the door along rails horizontally arranged on the left and right inner wall surfaces of each storage room, thereby opening and closing front openings of freezing room 41 and vegetable room 42. In the vegetable compartment 42, a storage box capable of storing therein food as an object to be cooled is housed in a freely removable manner. The storage box is supported by a frame fixedly arranged on the door, and is configured to slide along the front and back directions in linkage with the opening and closing of the door. Similarly, a storage box capable of storing food and the like therein is stored in the freezing chamber 41 so as to be drawable. In addition, the ice storage compartment 31 also houses an ice storage box in a freely removable manner. The number of storage cassettes provided in each storage compartment is one, but in the case where storage performance, ease of arrangement, and the like are improved in consideration of the capacity of the entire refrigerator 1, two or more storage cassettes may be provided in each storage compartment.

A cooling mechanism for supplying cold air into each storage chamber is provided on the rear surface side of the refrigerator 1. The cooling mechanism includes a compressor 2, a cooler 3 (evaporator), a blower fan 4, and an air duct 5, and these operations are controlled by a controller 7 that controls the operations of the entire refrigerator 1. The compressor 2 and the cooler 3 constitute a refrigeration cycle together with a condenser (not shown) and an expansion device (not shown), and generate cold air to be supplied to each storage chamber. The cold air generated by the compressor 2 and the cooler 3 is sent to the air passage 5 by the blower fan 4, and is supplied from the air passage 5 to the freezer compartment 41, the ice-making compartment 21, and the refrigerator compartment 10 through the shutter. The vegetable compartment 42 is cooled by cold air returned from the refrigerating compartment 10, which is supplied from a refrigerating compartment return air duct (not shown) through a shutter. The cold air supplied to the vegetable compartment 42 is returned to the cooler 3 through a vegetable compartment return air passage (not shown).

An operation panel 6 is disposed outside the door 11a of the refrigerator 1. With the operation panel 6, the user can set the temperature of each storage room, or can select various functions operating according to a predetermined temperature program.

In addition, the user may select the kind of the offered item provided by the ice dispenser 50 through the operation of the operation panel 6. For example, the user can cause the ice dispenser 50 to supply any one of cube-shaped ice (hereinafter also referred to as "cube ice"), ice having a hollow center portion (for example, cube ice having a hollow center portion), crushed ice, and cold water for beverages, in accordance with an operation of the operation panel 6. In embodiment 1, the options of the provided item by the operation panel 6 are any one of cube ice, ice with a cavity in the center (hereinafter, also referred to as "ice with a cavity"), crushed ice, and cold water for beverages, but the options are not limited thereto.

"1-2" ice dispenser 50.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of an ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 schematically shows a sectional structure of the icemaker 50 and the refrigerator 1 shown in fig. 1 cut by a line IV-IV. However, fig. 4 does not show a part of the structure other than the icemaker 50. Fig. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a control system of the ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of ice making unit 20a of ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 1.

The ice dispenser 50 includes: an ice making unit 20a for making ice with cavities (ice with a cavity in the center) 110 as the 1 st ice; an ice crushing mechanism 500 for crushing the ice 110 with cavities supplied from the ice making unit 20a to make crushed ice 150 as the 2 nd ice; and a discharge portion 37 that discharges the crushed ice.

The ice making portion 20a has: an ice-making tray 111 provided with a plurality of ice-making cells 112 corresponding to the shape of the ice 110 with cavities; a water supply part for supplying water to the ice-making tray 111; and an extended refrigerant pipe 24a as a cooling part for cooling the water supplied to the ice making tray 111. The water supply portion includes a water supply tank 22, a water supply path 23, a water tank 25 for ice making, and a circulating water supply path 26.

the water supply tank 22 is disposed in the refrigerating chamber 10, and water for making ice, which is a raw material of the 1 st ice, is supplied into the ice making chamber 21 through the water supply path 23 by the pump 23 b. The water in the water supply tank 22 may be supplied as cold water for beverages to the discharge portion 37 of the ice dispenser 50 through an arbitrary path (not shown). In addition, instead of supplying water from water supply tank 22, refrigerator 1 may include a connection portion connected to a tap water pipe, and tap water may be directly supplied to ice making chamber 21 by providing a tap water pipe in the connection portion, and in this case, pump 23b is not required.

The ice making chamber 21 is disposed at the uppermost portion of the refrigerating chamber 10, is covered with a heat insulating material at its periphery, and is cooled to a temperature at which ice can be made by an extended refrigerant pipe 24a connected to the refrigerant pipe 24. However, the cold air may be introduced from the air duct 5 and cooled to a temperature at which ice can be made, and in this case, the extended refrigerant pipe 24a does not need to be extended to the ice making chamber 21. The 1 st ice 110 produced by the ice making unit 20a falls and is conveyed to the ice storage compartment 31 disposed below the ice making compartment 21.

The ice storage chamber 31 is disposed below the ice making chamber 21 and stores the ice made by the ice making unit 20 a. In fig. 4, the ice storage compartment 31 is disposed on the door 11a side of the refrigerating compartment 10, is located below the ice making compartment 21 when the door 11a is closed, and is configured to receive ice 110 with a cavity. However, the position of the ice bank 31 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the ice storage chamber 31 may be directly connected to the lower side of the ice making chamber 21, instead of being connected to the door 11 a. The ice storage chamber 31 has an opening for conveying the ice 110 with a cavity downward. The opening is normally closed by a shutter 32 with a moving mechanism, and the shutter is moved by pressing an ice dispenser operation switch 38 to open the opening, so that the ice 110 with a cavity in the ice storage chamber 31 is transferred to the ice crushing chamber 33. In addition, the ice storage chamber 31 may be two or more. The ice making unit 20a may be provided with an ice conveying mechanism for storing normal cubed ice without cavities, cavity ice which is easy to be crushed, or crushed ice which has been crushed.

The ice bin 33 is disposed below the ice bin 31, and receives ice from the ice bin 31. When the ice dispenser operation switch 38 is pressed down by selecting ice cubes or ice cubes of a similar large size as a discharge material by the operation panel 6, the ice crushing mechanism 100 is not operated or is operated to transport the ice without crushing the ice, and the ice cubes are transported to the ice transport path 35. When the ice dispenser operation switch 38 is pressed down by selecting crushed ice or ice of a similar small size as a discharge using the operation panel 6, the ice crushing mechanism 100 operates to crush the ice with the cavity and deliver the crushed ice to the ice conveying path 35.

A stopper 36 is provided on the ice conveying path 35 to the outside of the refrigerator 1, and only while the ice ejector operation switch 38 is pressed, the ice conveying path 35 is opened by the moving mechanism of the stopper 36 to discharge the ice selected by the operation panel 6. However, when cold water for beverage is selected by the operation panel 6, the baffle 36 may not be opened, and cold water for beverage may be supplied through another path (a water supply path (not shown)).

the ice crushing mechanism 500 includes: an ice crushing member which has a plurality of surfaces for pressing the 1 st ice, and which is operated by receiving a driving force to press the ice 110 with cavities by the surfaces, thereby crushing the ice with cavities to produce crushed ice; and a driving part for providing a driving force to the ice crushing member. The ice crushing mechanism may be configured to crush the ice 110 with the cavity, or may be configured to have no blade structure. Further, details of a specific example of the ice crushing mechanism are described in embodiments 5 and 6 described later.

1-3 actions of Ice dispensing device 50

As shown in fig. 6, ice making unit 20a is supplied with ice making water from water supply path 23. The supplied water passes through the mesh-like ice receiving portion 25a and is stored in the ice making water tank 25. The water contained in the water tank 25 for ice making is discharged from the discharge port 26a to the ice making tray 111 as an ice making container through the circulating water supply path 26 by, for example, a pump 26 b. The ice tray 111 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and is directly cooled by arranging an extended refrigerant pipe 24a laid on the rear surface. An extended refrigerant pipe 24a on the rear surface of the ice making tray 111 is connected to a refrigerant pipe 24 extending from the cooler 3.

Water flows on the ice-making tray 111 directly cooled by the extended refrigerant pipe 24a (i.e., the inner side of the ice-making unit cells 112 of the ice-making tray 111), whereby ice making on the surface portion of the ice-making tray 111 is gradually performed. The unfrozen water falls down and is collected by the ice making water tank 25 via the mesh-like ice receiving portion 25a, and is sent again to the ice making tray 111 via the circulating water supply path 26. By freezing the ice making tray 111 little by little while circulating water in this manner, the pure water portion of the water (i.e., the portion of the water with less impurities) is frozen first, and the portion containing much impurities is recovered by the ice making water tank 25, whereby ice with high transparency can be produced.

The ice making unit 20a can make ice 110 with cavities by stopping the ice making operation in the middle of the process, as well as making normal ice cubes without cavities. The ice 110 with cavities formed in the ice tray 111 can be de-iced from the ice tray 111 by a known method such as rotating and deforming the ice tray 111.

The ice 110 with the hollow thus produced can be simply crushed with a small force.

In the ice making unit 20a, both of the normal cube ice and the ice with cavities 110 can be made, and space can be saved.

< 1-4 > Effect

as described above, according to the ice dispenser 50 of embodiment 1, the ice making unit 20a supplies ice 110 with cavities, which is easily broken, to the ice crushing mechanism, and thus the ice crushing mechanism can crush the ice with a small force of pinching. In this way, since ice is crushed by the rod-shaped or plate-shaped member instead of the blade structure, there is an effect that breakage of the member for crushing ice is less likely to occur.

Further, since ice having a structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20a to the ice crushing mechanism, it is difficult to apply an excessive load to the driving mechanism of the ice crushing mechanism, and there is an effect that a failure of the ice crushing mechanism is difficult to occur.

EXAMPLE 2 (2).

fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of ice making unit 20b of the ice dispenser according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. In fig. 7, the same reference numerals as those shown in fig. 6 are given to the same or corresponding components as those shown in fig. 6. The ice making unit 20b in embodiment 2 is different from the ice making unit 20a in embodiment 1 in the structure of the ice making tray 121. Except for this point, the ice dispenser according to embodiment 2 is the same as embodiment 1.

In the ice making unit 20b, water for making ice is supplied from the discharge port 23a of the water supply path 23. The supplied water is sent to the ice making water tank 25 through the mesh-like ice receiving portion 25 a. The water sent to the water tank 25 for ice making passes through the circulating water supply path 26 by the pump 26b, and is discharged from the discharge port 26a to the ice making tray 121. The ice tray 121 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and is directly cooled by arranging an extended refrigerant pipe 24a laid on the rear surface thereof. An extended refrigerant pipe 24a on the back surface of the ice-making tray 121 is connected to a refrigerant pipe 24 extending from the cooler 3.

Water flows along the surface of the ice making unit cells 122 of the ice making tray 121 directly cooled by the extended refrigerant pipe 24a, thereby gradually making ice on the surface of the ice making unit cells 122 of the ice making tray 121 to make ice. The unfrozen water passes through the mesh-shaped ice receiving portion 25a, is collected in the ice making water tank 25, and is discharged from the discharge port 26a to the ice making tray 121 through the circulating water supply path 26 again. By freezing the ice-making water while circulating it in this manner, the pure water portion of the water (i.e., the portion of the water with a small impurity content) is frozen first, and the portion containing a large amount of impurities is collected by the ice-making water tank 25, so that ice with high transparency can be produced.

In the ice making unit 20b, the ice making cells of the ice making tray 121 are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, so that the rectangular parallelepiped ice 120 corresponding to the cube ice can be produced although the normal square ice cannot be produced. The ice in the rectangular parallelepiped is a rectangular parallelepiped having one side shorter than the other two sides, and has a property of being crushed more easily than the ice in the rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, the ice 120 in the rectangular parallelepiped shape can be easily crushed with a small force.

as described above, according to the ice dispenser of embodiment 2, since the ice making unit 20b supplies ice 120 having a structure that is easily broken, that is, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, to the ice crushing mechanism, the ice crushing mechanism can crush the ice by a small force of pinching. In this way, since ice is crushed by the rod-shaped or plate-shaped member instead of the blade structure, the member for crushing ice is less likely to be damaged.

Further, since ice having a structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20b to the ice crushing mechanism, it is difficult to apply an excessive load to the driving mechanism of the ice crushing mechanism, and thus it is difficult for the ice crushing mechanism to malfunction.

EXAMPLE 3 (3).

fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of ice making unit 20c of the ice dispenser according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. In fig. 8, the same or corresponding components as those shown in fig. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those shown in fig. 6. The ice making unit 20c in embodiment 3 is different from the ice making unit 20a in embodiment 1 in the structure of the ice making tray 131. Except for this point, the ice dispenser according to embodiment 3 is the same as embodiment 1.

In the ice making unit 20c, water for making ice is supplied from the discharge port 23a of the water supply path 23. The supplied water passes through the mesh-like ice receiving portion 25a and is sent to the ice making water tank 25. The water sent to the water tank 25 for ice making passes through the circulating water supply path 26 by the pump 26b, and is discharged from the discharge port 26a to the ice making tray 131. The ice tray 131 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and is directly cooled by arranging an extended refrigerant pipe 24a laid on the rear surface. The extended refrigerant pipe 24a of the rear surface of the ice making tray 131 is connected to the refrigerant pipe 24 extending from the cooler 3.

The water flows along the surface of the ice making unit cells 132 of the ice making tray 131 directly cooled by the extended refrigerant pipe 24a, so that ice is gradually made on the surface of the ice making unit cells 132 of the ice making tray 131 to make ice. The unfrozen water passes through the mesh-shaped ice receiving portion 25a, is collected in the ice making water tank 25, and is discharged from the discharge port 26a toward the ice making tray 131 through the circulating water supply path 26 again. By freezing the ice-making water while circulating it in this manner, the pure water portion of the water (i.e., the portion of the water with a small impurity content) is frozen first, and the portion containing a large amount of impurities is collected by the ice-making water tank 25, so that ice with high transparency can be produced.

The ice making unit 20c includes movable partition walls 133 capable of forming each ice making unit cell of the ice making tray 131 into a triangular prism shape, and can selectively produce normal square ice and triangular prism ice 130. The switching may be performed by a drive mechanism provided in the partition wall 133, or may be performed manually by the user. The triangular prism-shaped ice 130 has a property of being more easily crushed than the cubic-shaped ice. Thus, the triangular prism-shaped ice 130 can simply crush ice with a small force.

As described above, according to the ice dispenser of embodiment 3, since the ice making unit 20c supplies the ice crushing mechanism with ice having a structure that is easily crushed, that is, the ice 130 having a triangular prism shape, the ice crushing mechanism can crush the ice by being pressed with a small force. In this way, since ice is crushed by the rod-shaped or plate-shaped member instead of the blade structure, the member for crushing ice is less likely to be damaged.

further, since ice having a structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20c to the ice crushing mechanism, it is difficult to apply an excessive load to the driving mechanism of the ice crushing mechanism, and thus it is difficult for the ice crushing mechanism to malfunction.

EXAMPLE 4 (4).

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of ice making unit 20d of the ice dispenser according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. In fig. 9, the same reference numerals as those shown in fig. 6 are given to the same or corresponding components as those shown in fig. 6.

The ice making unit 20d according to embodiment 4 is different from the ice making unit 20a according to embodiment 1 in that each of the ice making cells 142 of the ice making tray 141 has a container shape for forming the 1 st ice 140 in a cube shape, and in that a protruding refrigerant tube 24b, which is a protruding portion of a distal end portion of the refrigerant tube 24, is inserted from above into the water supplied from the water supply path 23 into the ice making cells 142. Except for the above, the ice dispenser according to embodiment 4 is the same as embodiment 1.

In the ice making unit 20d, water for making ice is supplied to the ice making tray 141 from the discharge port 23a of the water supply path 23, and the water is directly cooled by the protruding refrigerant pipe 24 b. The protrusion-type refrigerant pipe 24b is connected to a refrigerant pipe 24 extending from the cooler 3. The protruding refrigerant tube 24b makes ice from the water retained in the ice making tray 141, thereby making ice 140 containing impurities and air bubbles and having a hollow portion at the center. That is, in embodiment 4, unlike embodiments 1 to 3 in which flowing water is gradually frozen, ice 140 in a state including impurities and air bubbles is produced as the 1 st ice by freezing water contained in the ice producing tray 141.

The ice 140 is removed by rotating the ice tray 141 about the rotation shaft 141a supported by the support 27. The ice 140 thus produced has a hollow space and contains air bubbles, so that it is possible to easily crush ice with a small force. Therefore, in the ice dispenser according to embodiment 4, the crushed ice can be produced by bringing the surface of the ice crushing member into contact with the 1 st ice 140 to nip the surface, thereby crushing the 1 st ice 140.

As described above, according to the ice dispenser of embodiment 4, the ice making unit 20d supplies the 1 st ice 140, which is easily broken, to the ice crushing mechanism, so that the ice can be crushed by pinching the rod-shaped or plate-shaped member. In this way, since ice is crushed by a member that is in surface contact, such as a rod-shaped or plate-shaped member, instead of the blade structure, it is difficult for the member that performs ice crushing to be damaged.

Further, since ice of a structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20d to the ice crushing mechanism, an excessive load is not easily applied to the driving mechanism of the ice crushing mechanism, and a failure of the ice crushing mechanism is less likely to occur.

EXAMPLE 5 (5).

The ice dispenser according to embodiment 5 of the present invention corresponds to an example in which the configuration of the ice crushing mechanism is particularly limited in the ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 1. Except for this point, the ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 5 is the same as the ice dispenser according to embodiment 1. Therefore, reference is also made to fig. 1 to 6 in describing embodiment 5.

Fig. 10 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a main part of an ice crushing mechanism 500 of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 5. As shown in fig. 10, in embodiment 5, the ice crushing mechanism 500 includes, as ice crushing means: a rotating member 501 made of a rod-like member; a fixing member 502 including a rod-like member; and a driving mechanism 503 that rotates the rotating member 501. The rotary member 501 includes: a support portion 501a disposed on the rotation shaft; and a plurality of rod-like members 501b extending outward from the support portion 501 a. The fixing member 502 is provided with a plurality of rod members 502b, and the plurality of rod members 502b are arranged so as to extend inward so as to surround the rotating member 501, and are arranged so as not to collide with the rod members 501b with a predetermined small gap therebetween.

Ice (1 st ice) produced by the ice making unit 20 provided at an upper portion of the ice crushing mechanism 500 is supplied to the ice crushing mechanism 500. As shown in fig. 10, the ice crushing mechanism 500 crushes the ice by pinching the ice with the outer peripheral surface of the rod-like member 502b of the fixed member 502 (curved surface as the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod) and the outer peripheral surface of the rod-like member 501b of the rotating member 501 (curved surface as the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical rod), thereby generating crushed ice as the 2 nd ice.

In embodiment 5, when ice is crushed by pinching the outer peripheral surface of the rod-like member 502b and the outer peripheral surface of the rod-like member 501b of the rotating member 501, the surface contacts ice, so that the contact area with ice is large and the pressure applied to ice is small.

However, in embodiment 5, ice having a hollow structure, which is easily broken, is supplied to the ice crushing mechanism 500 by the ice making unit similar to the ice making unit 20a of embodiment 1. Therefore, the ice can be crushed by the pinching of the outer peripheral surfaces of the rod-like members 501b and 502 b.

As described above, in the ice dispenser and the refrigerator according to embodiment 5, the ice crushing mechanism 500 is not configured to have the blade structure, but is configured to crush ice by pinching the rod-like members 501b and 502b, and therefore, breakage of the members is less likely to occur.

In the ice dispenser and the refrigerator according to embodiment 5, since the ice having a hollow structure that is easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20a to the ice crushing mechanism 500, the components are less likely to be damaged, and the driving mechanism 503 is less likely to malfunction.

In the above description, an example in which the same ice making unit as the ice making unit 20a of embodiment 1 is used has been described, but the ice making units 20b to 20d of any of embodiments 2 to 4 may be used in the ice dispenser of embodiment 5.

EXAMPLE 6 (6).

The ice dispenser according to embodiment 6 of the present invention is different from the ice dispenser 50 according to embodiment 1 in the configuration of the ice crushing mechanism 600. Except for this point, the ice dispenser according to embodiment 6 is the same as embodiment 1. Therefore, in describing embodiment 6, reference is also made to fig. 1 to 6.

Fig. 11 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a main part of an ice crushing mechanism 600 of an ice dispenser according to embodiment 6. As shown in fig. 11, in embodiment 6, the ice crushing mechanism 600 includes: a set of plate-shaped ice crushing members, i.e., a movable plate (1 st ice crushing member) 601 and a fixed plate (2 nd ice crushing member) 602, provided with surfaces 601a, 602a facing each other; and a driving mechanism 603 for moving the movable plate 601 in a direction (arrow 604) approaching the fixed plate 602 and in the opposite direction. The arrangement of the movable plate 601 and the fixed plate 602 may be reversed. In addition, both the 1 st and 2 nd ice crushing members may be moved.

ice (1 st ice) produced by the ice making unit 20 provided at the upper portion of the ice crushing mechanism 600 is supplied to the ice crushing mechanism 600. As shown in fig. 11, the ice crushing mechanism 600 crushes the ice by pressing the ice between the planar surface 602a of the fixed plate 602 and the planar surface 601a of the movable plate 601, thereby generating crushed ice as the 2 nd ice.

In embodiment 6, when ice is crushed by pinching the surface 602a of the fixed plate 602 and the surface 601a of the movable plate 601, the surface is in contact with the 1 st ice, so that the contact area with ice is large and the pressure applied to ice is small. In contrast, when ice is crushed by the pinching of one set of blade structures, the tip of the sharp blade structure comes into contact with the ice, so that the contact area with the ice is small and the pressure locally applied to the ice is large. Thus, the ice crushing capability of the ice crushing mechanism 600 in embodiment 6 is lower than that of the ice crushing mechanism employing the blade structure.

However, in embodiment 6, ice 110 with cavities, which is easily broken, is supplied to ice crushing mechanism 600 by the ice making unit similar to ice making unit 20a of embodiment 1. Accordingly, ice crushing can be achieved by the pinching between surface 602a of fixed plate 602 and surface 601a of movable plate 601. In embodiment 6, both the surface 602a and the surface 601a are flat surfaces.

As described above, in the ice dispenser and the refrigerator according to embodiment 6, the ice crushing mechanism 600 is not configured as a knife, but is configured to crush ice by the pressure between the surface 602a of the fixed plate 602 and the surface 601a of the movable plate 601, and therefore, breakage of components is less likely to occur.

In the ice dispenser and the refrigerator according to embodiment 6, since the ice with cavities that are easily broken is supplied from the ice making unit 20a to the ice crushing mechanism 600, the parts are less likely to be damaged, and the driving mechanism 603 is less likely to be broken.

In the above description, an example in which the same ice making unit as the ice making unit 20a of embodiment 1 is used has been described, but the ice making units 20b to 20d of any of embodiments 2 to 4 may be used in the ice dispenser of embodiment 6.

Description of reference numerals

1, a refrigerator; 2, a compressor; 3, a cooler; 4, an air supply fan; 5 air passages; 6 an operation panel; 7 a control unit; 10 a refrigerating chamber; 11a, 11b refrigerator front door; 12 door slots; 13 a cold fresh room; 20a to 20d ice making sections; 21 an ice making chamber; 22 a water supply tank; 23a water supply path; 23a water supply port; 24 refrigerant tubes; 24a extending the refrigerant tube; 24b projection type refrigerant pipe; 25a water tank for ice making; 25a mesh ice receiving part; 26 circulating water supply path; 26a water supply port; 26b a water supply pump; 31 an ice storage chamber; 32, blocking; 33 a crushed ice chamber; 38 working switch of ice discharger; 41 freezing chamber; 42 a vegetable room; 50, an ice discharger; 110 ice with cavities (ice with cavities in the center); 120 rectangular parallelepiped shaped ice; 130 triangular prism shaped ice; 111 ice tray (for ice with cavity); 112 an ice making single chamber; 121 ice tray (for ice in rectangular parallelepiped shape); 122 an ice making single chamber; 131 ice trays (for ice in a triangular prism shape); 132 ice making single chamber; 133 a partition wall; 500. 600 an ice crushing mechanism; 501 rotating a component; 501b a rod-shaped member; 502 a fixing member; 502b a rod-shaped member; 503 a drive mechanism; 601a movable plate; 602 fixing the plate; 603 drive the mechanism.

Claims

1. An ice dispenser, comprising:

An ice making part making 1 st ice;

an ice crushing mechanism for crushing the 1 st ice supplied from the ice making unit to make a 2 nd ice; and

A discharging part for discharging the 2 nd ice,

The ice making unit includes:

An ice-making tray provided with a plurality of ice-making cells corresponding to the shape of the 1 st ice;

A water supply path for supplying water to the ice-making tray; and

A cooling part for cooling the water supplied to the ice-making tray,

the 1 st ice is any one of ice in which a central portion is hollowed, rectangular parallelepiped ice in which one side is shorter than the other two sides, and triangular prism ice,

The ice crushing mechanism comprises:

A plurality of ice crushing members having a plurality of surfaces for pinching the 1 st ice, the ice crushing members being configured to crush the 1 st ice to produce the 2 nd ice by receiving a driving force to narrow an interval between the surfaces; and

A driving part which provides the driving force to at least one of the plurality of ice-crushing members.

2. The ice dispenser of claim 1,

The ice making unit includes:

A support portion that supports the ice-making tray such that the water supplied from the water supply path flows along a surface of the ice-making unit compartment of the ice-making tray; and

An ice-making water tank for collecting water falling without being frozen in the ice-making unit chamber,

the water in the ice making water tank is supplied to the ice making tray again through the water supply path.

3. The ice dispenser of claim 1 or 2,

The ice tray further includes movable partition walls for partitioning the ice making cells,

A triangular prism-shaped container structure or a cubic container structure is formed corresponding to the position of the partition wall.

4. the ice dispenser of claim 2 or 3,

the ice dispenser further includes a control unit for controlling a water supply time from a start of water supply to the empty ice tray by the water supply path to a stop of water supply.

5. The ice dispenser of claim 1,

The cooling unit includes a protruding cooling pipe inserted into the water supplied from the water supply path to the plurality of ice making units.

6. The ice dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 4,

The ice making unit includes a circulating water supply path for collecting water supplied from the water supply path and supplying the water to the ice tray.

7. The ice dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 6,

The ice crushing mechanism comprises a 1 st rod-shaped component and a 2 nd rod-shaped component as the ice crushing components,

The 2 nd rod-shaped member is arranged to rotate around a rotation axis by the driving force through a position spaced apart from the 1 st rod-shaped member by a predetermined distance,

The ice is crushed by pinching the 1 st ice between the 1 st rod-like member and the 2 nd rod-like member.

8. The ice dispenser of any one of claims 1 to 6,

The ice crushing mechanism comprises a plate-shaped 1 st ice crushing component and a plate-shaped 2 nd ice crushing component as the ice crushing components,

The driving unit operates at least one of the 1 st ice crushing member and the 2 nd ice crushing member to crush the 1 st ice between the 1 st ice crushing member and the 2 nd ice crushing member.

9. A refrigerator comprising the ice dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8.