DE102016219446A1 - Refrigerating appliance with ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator comprises a housing (1) defining at least one refrigerated storage compartment (3), an ice maker (15) installed in the storage compartment (3), a refrigerator for cooling the storage compartment (3) and a device control unit (10) for controlling the storage compartment Operation of the chiller and icemaker (15). The icemaker (15) comprises a subordinate electronic control unit (25) arranged to implement a single control command of the appliance control unit (10) into a sequence of commands directed to different actuators of the icemaker (15).

Description

While it is almost standard in the North American market to provide refrigerators with an automatic icemaker, such icemakers in Europe are still an optional extra but their use is increasing.

Due to their low distribution, European kitchens are generally not designed to provide a refrigeration device with a direct connection to the water network. Since many interested parties shy away from the costs associated with the production of such a connection, it is necessary to offer in addition to designed for connection to the water network ice makers also those who do not need such a connection and instead can be fed from a manually fillable water tank.

For a long time, automatic ice makers were controlled electromechanically. An electromechanical control device for an icemaker comprised a cam rotatably driven by an electric motor, and levers that opened and closed the cam of the cam to open and close a valve, which filled the ice molds of a tray with water, and drive a movement of the tray ejecting the finished pieces of ice ,

The advent of inexpensive programmable electronic control devices meant that they were soon used for the control of the refrigerator in a refrigerator. Since these programmable electronic control devices were able to perform the tasks of the electromechanical control devices as it were, and also offered the possibility of controlling additional functions that could be realized with cams, if at all, at great expense, the electromechanical control devices were displaced from the market ,

While the transition from electromechanical to electronic control significantly reduced the cost of the control devices themselves, this was not the case for assembly. On the contrary, there has been an increased effort to relocate lines between the electronic control unit and the icemaker components it controls, taking into account that different models of icemakers are different in the number and nature of the components to be controlled could distinguish required lines.

The object of the present invention is to reduce this expense, i. to streamline the manufacture of refrigeration appliances, which may optionally include one or no icemakers or various models of ice makers.

The object is achieved by comprising a subordinate electronic control unit in a refrigeration device with a housing defining at least one refrigerated storage compartment, an ice maker installed in the storage compartment, a refrigerator for cooling the storage compartment and a device control unit for controlling the operation of the refrigeration machine and the ice maker adapted to implement a single control command of the appliance control unit in a sequence of instructions directed to different actuators of the icemaker.

This results in several beneficial effects. On the one hand simplifies the wiring between the device control unit and the icemaker, since the icemaker except a switch-on no further control signals of the device control unit longer needed to fulfill its function. The control program for the device control unit is therefore possibly still required in two versions, depending on whether it comes in a refrigerator with or without icemaker used; Ideally, a uniform control program can be provided, which checks in the course of initialization, whether an icemaker is present or not, and this in the further course of the program considered. The icemaker can be further developed or enriched with additional functions without having to adapt the control program of the device control unit.

The actuators of the icemaker, which are controlled by the subordinate electronic control unit, should comprise at least one motor for pivoting a tray of the icemaker and a valve, in particular a solenoid valve, for controlling the water supply to the tray.

When the ice maker conventionally includes a four-sided frame surrounding the tray, the subordinate control unit may be housed in a chamber bounded by a side wall of the frame and a shell overhanging the side wall. Thus existing models of ice makers can be adapted with a minimum of changes to the invention.

The said side wall of the frame is preferably the same, on which a bearing is arranged, over which the pivoting movement of the tray is driven - typically by an electric motor and a reduction gear.

The icemaker may include a temperature sensor to which the subordinate control unit is connected. This allows control of the ice making process, taking into account the temperature prevailing in the icemaker, which may differ significantly from the temperature prevailing in other parts of the storage compartment housing the icemaker, and preferably by the unit control unit of the control of a refrigerating machine.

The slave controller should control the duration of an ice maker cycle. Based on the data from the temperature sensor, it can vary these to optimize the productivity of the icemaker.

If a water line of the icemaker is provided with a heater to prevent freezing of the water in the line, then one of the above-mentioned, controlled by the subordinate control unit actuators of the icemaker may be a heater controlling switch.

In the icemaker, a water dispenser may be integrated with a water outlet accessible on an outside of the water dispenser. This allows in addition to the ice production and the tapping of chilled water in larger quantities, especially if a manually fillable tank from which the icemaker is fed, is itself cooled in the housing, or the icemaker with a water network connecting water pipe passes over such a cooled tank arranged.

This water outlet could be led out of the housing of the refrigerator in order to allow the tapping of water, without having to open a door of the housing. Preferably, it is located inside the housing, so that a same type of housing for refrigerators with and without water outlet or even for refrigerators with and without ice maker can be used.

If the ice maker includes a water meter, the sub electronic control unit should be configured to issue a message, in particular to send it to the appliance control unit when a threshold water consumption is exceeded. This message may alert a user to the need to refill the water tank or, if a water filter is also provided, to renew it.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures. Show it:

1 a schematic representation of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention;

2 a schematic representation of a refrigerator according to a second embodiment of the invention;

3 - 6 a first part of an ice maker for the refrigerators according to 1 and 2 in various stages of assembly, as well as, in 6 , together with a second part.

1 shows a highly schematic of a refrigerator according to a first embodiment of the invention. A housing 1 of the refrigerator limited in this embodiment, at least two storage compartments, here a normal refrigeration compartment 2 and a freezer 3 , A chiller for cooling the compartments 2 and 3 includes a compressor 4 and a liquefier 5 that are outside a thermal barrier coating 6 typically in a machine room 7 of the housing 1 , are housed, as well as at least one within the thermal barrier coating 6 arranged evaporator. In the figure is on each tray 2 . 3 an evaporator 8th . 9 assigned, which cools it directly; Alternatively, however, only one evaporator could be provided which is in a normal refrigeration compartment 2 and freezer 3 a separate evaporator chamber is housed, and a fan and flaps convey cold air from the evaporator chamber into one of the two compartments and warmer air from the compartment concerned back to the evaporator chamber.

An electronic device control unit 10 controls the operation of the compressor 4 based on temperature readings of at least one temperature sensor 11 who is in the drawer 2 respectively. 3 is arranged. I'm in the 1 sketched simplest case that the evaporator 8th . 9 in the refrigerant circuit without a refrigerant flow controlling element are connected in series between them, the available cooling capacity is distributed in a fixed ratio to the two subjects 2 . 3 , so that a single temperature sensor is sufficient. If the evaporator 8th . 9 connected in parallel in the refrigerant circuit and the distribution of the refrigerant can be controlled by means of a valve, or if in the case of series connection, a controllable throttle point between the evaporators 8th . 9 it should allow to influence their evaporation temperatures, should be temperature sensors 11 in both subjects 2 . 3 to be available.

In the normal refrigerator 2 is a manually fillable water tank 12 arranged. This tank can with a in the Fig. Not shown, opening into the normal cooling water outlet similar to the later with reference to 6 described water outlet 43 be provided to allow the bleeding of cooled water. A water pipe 13 runs from the tank 12 through an intermediate wall 14 to an automatic ice maker 15 in the freezer 3 , The water tank 12 could alternatively also outside the thermal barrier coating 6 be arranged, there it would be easier to fill; however, it would not be suitable for draining cold water, as well as due to the placement of the tank 12 in the normal refrigerated compartment 2 freshly filled room-warm water should first be pre-cooled to normal refrigerator temperature, before it enters the freezer 3 arrives; on the one hand this results in a high energy efficiency of the ice production, on the other hand it enables an operation of the ice maker 15 with short operating cycles of constant duration.

The icemaker 15 includes in a conventional manner a frame 16 in which under an outlet 17 at the end of the water pipe 13 a several ice forms 19 exhibiting tray 18 with (s. 3 ) about a horizontal axis 20 is pivotally mounted. In an upwardly open position of the tray 18 can the ice forms 19 with water from the water pipe 13 be filled by a valve 21 , in particular a solenoid valve, is opened temporarily, and the water can in the molds 19 freeze. When this is done, the tray is powered by an electric motor 23 (S. 3 ), turned, and the resulting pieces of ice from the forms 19 solved, for example, by an electric heater of the tablet 18 thawed on the surface and thus made to be easily movable, or by deformation of the tray 18 from the forms 19 be driven out and fall into one under the frame 16 arranged collecting container 22 ,

The device control unit 10 is with an outside (or inside, with the door open) on the housing 1 arranged user interface 24 connected on the one hand the device control unit 10 allows operating states or actual values of operating parameters of the device, such as compartment temperatures, to be displayed and, on the other hand, allows a user to set desired operating parameters and / or to enter other commands.

If the tank 12 equipped with a level sensor which is connected to the device control unit 10 then one of the operating states connected to the user interface 24 displayed, insufficient water level in the tank 12 be.

One of the commands on the user interface 24 can be entered, is an ice-making command. This command is carried out by the device control unit 10 not yourself, but merely guides it - if not the water level in the tank 12 is found to be insufficient for ice making - to a subordinate electronic control unit 25 continue, although in 1 for clarity, separate from the frame 16 represented, but in fact, and as later explained in more detail, is incorporated in these.

The subordinate control unit 25 uses this command to control the icemaker's actuators 15 such as the already mentioned electric motor 23 and the valve 21 , Other actuators can also the already mentioned heating the tablet 18 or an electric heater 26 at one in the freezer 3 protruding end portion of the water pipe 13 be. Because the device control unit 10 when forwarding the ice-making command need not take into account whether these actuators are present or not, the same model of appliance control unit 10 with various models of ice makers 15 work together, allowing the assembly of the housing 1 of the refrigerator and the installation of the device control unit 10 regardless of later possibly in the freezer compartment 3 to be mounted model of the icemaker 15 can be done.

The first reaction of the subordinate control unit 25 the command to ice-cream is to open the valve 21 to the tray 18 to fill with water. To set the time at which the valve 21 Once again, a level gauge can read the water level in the ice shapes 19 monitored, to the subordinate control unit 25 be connected, or the subordinate control unit 25 closes the valve 21 again after a given period of time. This time span must be set so that even with a full water tank 12 and accordingly high pressure in the water pipe 13 an overflow of forms 19 is excluded. To avoid fluctuating water levels in the tank 12 lead to the production of ice pieces of too different size, can be a sufficient height difference between the tank 12 and the outlet of the pipe 13 be provided, or it may be as another of the subordinate control unit 25 controlled actuator a metering pump to the water line 13 be provided.

After closing the valve 21 the control unit is waiting 25 to freeze the water in the molds 19 required time. This time can be fixed. As the filled water is usually at the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 2 may be, this predetermined time can be selected so that it is just enough to freeze filled with water compartment temperature water when the temperatures of the refrigerator and freezer 2 . 3 each at the top of their user-settable value range. For a more efficient ice cream production can be an additional temperature sensor 27 as part of the ice maker 15 be arranged to the temperature of the tray 18 to capture surrounding air, and with the control unit 25 be connected so that it can set the waiting time as a function of the detected temperature.

Such a temperature sensor 27 can also be used to increase the performance of the heater 26 to that for preventing the freezing of the line 13 required minimum to regulate.

After expiration of the waiting period, the control unit resets 25 the electric motor 23 in progress to the tray 18 , if necessary, after a superficial Antauen the Eisstücke, turn and these in the collecting container 22 eject. In the simplest case, this is the reaction of the control unit 25 ended on the ice-making order. It is also conceivable that the control unit 25 following the ejection of the tray 18 refilled with water to begin a new ice-making cycle, and that the ice-making cycles follow each other until either the user retracts the ice-making command or, if present, a sensor on the sump 22 reports that it is full.

The refrigeration device of 2 is different from the one of 1 in several independently realizable aspects. According to a first aspect, the normal refrigeration compartment has been omitted; nevertheless the contents of the water tank 12 To be able to cool without freezing it is the water tank 12 in the the freezer 3 surrounding thermal barrier coating 6 embedded and by them both to the environment as well as to the freezer 3 isolated.

According to a second aspect, the water tank 12 connected to a building water pipe. A valve 28 can between the building water pipe and the water tank 12 be provided to keep the latter at a constant, but lower pressure than that of the building water pipe. The valve 28 opens automatically and allows water to the tank 12 flow back when the control unit 25 the valve 21 opens; a signal connection between the control unit 25 and the valve 28 is not required for this.

The Tank 12 can be here next to the icemaker 15 Also supply a tap not shown in the figure for cold water. If such a tap is not provided, could instead of the tank 12 Also, a simple connecting line of small cross-section be provided, which is the valve 21 connects with the building water pipe and on its way through the thermal barrier coating 6 a pre-cooling of the water supplied before reaching the icemaker 15 guaranteed.

According to a third aspect, there is a replaceable water filter 41 intended. This can be between the tank 12 and the valve 21 or, as shown here, between the valve 28 and the tank 12 be arranged.

3 shows a simplified perspective view of the frame 16 of the icemaker 15 and related components. The four side walls of the rectangular frame 16 are formed by at least two interconnected, preferably molded plastic components. Achsvorsprünge 29 of the tablet 18 are in openings of a front side wall 30 and a rear sidewall 31 of the frame 16 rotatably mounted. In the case of the front side wall 30 is the opening through the electric motor arranged above 23 hidden, in the case of the rear side wall 31 through the tray 18 himself. The electric motor 23 and a reduction gear with a worm 32 and several gears 33 that the rotation of the engine 23 on the front axle projection 29 Are in one forward, in the tray 18 opposite direction open cavity 34 the side wall 30 accommodated.

This design of an ice maker is known per se; in a conventional ice maker without its own electronic control unit, it would be enough to complete the cavity 34 to close by a front plate, which protects the gearbox from contamination and possibly voltage-carrying connections of the engine 23 protects against contact.

An intermediate wall 35 , the engine 23 and gear covered, is also the ice maker according to the invention 15 intended; in the presentation of the 4 she attacks herself in the cavity 34 the side wall 30 and forms on its outside turn a shallow depression 36 , Several electrical conductors 37 are in the plastic of the intermediate wall 35 embedded. They are placed so that they, when the partition 35 is mounted, the connections of the engine 23 and, if present, a heating of the tray 18 to contact.

The surface contour of the partition 35 lays, by protruding pins 38 , Ribs or the like, the installation position of an in 5 shown circuit board 39 at the partition 35 so firm that contact pads of the circuit board 35 the ladder 37 touch. The circuit board 39 is equipped with electronic components, which is the subordinate control unit 25 form.

In the assembled state of the 6 is the circuit board 39 behind a front panel 40 hidden. Because the space in the cavity 34 the front side wall 30 not enough to have the partition in it 35 , the circuit board 38 together with the components mounted on it and the front panel 40 especially if not the front side wall 30 that of a conventional ice maker that was not originally designed to accommodate an electronic control unit, provides the front panel 40 this place by being shaped as a shell, which is forward over the front side wall 30 protrudes and hollow at the back.

In addition to the frame 16 is in 2 another second assembly 42 of the icemaker, which, on a wall of the freezer 3 mounted, the valve 21 houses. A downstream section of the water pipe 13 extends over the tray 18 ,

The second assembly 40 can have a second water outlet 43 which face sideways against the frame 16 is offset and fed via a second valve inside the module. To operate the second valve, one of the assembly 42 projecting downwards, through one below the water outlet 43 held container deflectable paddle 44 be provided.

If the water filter 41 is present, it can be provided that the subordinate control unit 25 monitors the times in which the valve 21 and, if present, open the second valve so as to estimate the amount of water that will pass the filter 41 has gone through. When the amount of water estimated in this or other suitable way has exceeded a predetermined limit, the control unit generates 25 a signal to alert the user to the need for a filter change. Means for displaying the signal may be at the icemaker 15 be provided itself, such as an LED on the circuit board 39 and a matching window in the front panel 40 , Preferably, the control unit sends 25 the signal to the device control unit 10 So that it's at the user interface 24 reproduces, for example in the form of an error code, the device control unit 10 translated by a table into a text, which is then at the user interface 24 is shown. The device control unit 10 in turn requires no adaptation to the presence of the water filter 41 , Although their table must contain the required text, such text can also be included in the tables of devices without water filters, without ever being displayed there.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 casing

2

 Normal refrigeration compartment

3

 freezer

4

 compressor

5

 condenser

6

 thermal barrier

7

 engine room

8th

 Evaporator

9

 Evaporator

10

 Device control unit

11

 temperature sensor

12

 water tank

13

 water pipe

14

 partition

15

 Ice makers

16

 frame

17

 outlet

18

 tray

19

 ice mold

20

 axis

21

 Valve

22

 Clippings

23

 electric motor

24

 User interface

25

 subordinate control unit

26

 heater

27

 temperature sensor

28

 Valve

29

 Achsvorsprung

30

 front side wall

31

 rear side wall

32

 slug

33

 gear

34

 cavity

35

 partition

36

 deepening

37

 ladder

38

 pen

39

 circuit board

40

 front panel

41

 water filters

42

 module

43

 water outlet

44

 paddle

Claims (10)

Refrigerating appliance with at least one refrigerated storage compartment ( 3 ) limiting housing ( 1 ), one in the storage compartment ( 3 ) built-in ice maker ( 15 ), a chiller for cooling the storage compartment ( 3 ) and a device control unit ( 10 ) for controlling the operation of the chiller and the icemaker ( 15 ), characterized in that the ice maker ( 15 ) a subordinate electronic control unit ( 25 ), which is set up, a single control command of the device control unit ( 10 ) into a sequence of different actors of the ice maker ( 15 ). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuators at least one motor ( 23 ) for pivoting a tablet ( 18 ) of the ice maker ( 15 ) and a valve ( 21 ) for controlling the water supply to the tray ( 18 ). Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the ice maker ( 15 ) one the tray ( 18 ) surrounding quadrilateral frame ( 16 ) and that the subordinate control unit ( 25 ) is housed in a chamber which is separated from a side wall ( 30 ) of the frame ( 16 ) and one on this side wall ( 30 ), via this side wall ( 30 ) projecting shell ( 40 ) is limited. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that in one side wall ( 30 ) of the frame ( 16 ) a bearing is arranged, via which the pivoting movement of the tray ( 18 ) is driven. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ice maker ( 15 ) a temperature sensor ( 17 ) to which the subordinate control unit ( 25 ) connected. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 5, characterized in that the subordinate control unit ( 25 ) controls the duration of an ice-making cycle. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a water pipe ( 12 ) of the ice maker ( 15 ) with a heater ( 26 ) and that the heating ( 26 ) by the subordinate control unit ( 25 ) is controlled. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the ice maker ( 15 ) a water dispenser with a on an outside of the ice maker ( 15 ) accessible water outlet ( 43 ) is integrated. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that a control element for controlling the discharge of water via the water outlet ( 43 ) on the icemaker ( 15 ) is arranged. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ice maker ( 15 ) comprises a water consumption meter and the subordinate electronic control unit ( 25 ) is set up a message to the device control unit ( 10 ) when a threshold of water consumption is exceeded.

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