EP1844276A1

EP1844276A1 - Ice preparation unit, tray and operational method therefor

Info

Publication number: EP1844276A1
Application number: EP05813647A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernd Heger; Nathan Wrench
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2005-01-24
Filing date: 2005-12-02
Publication date: 2007-10-17
Also published as: DE102005003237A1; WO2006076982A1; US8104297B2; US20090025401A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an ice preparation unit tray (1) comprising several compartments (4) which are shaped as a rotational body segment. When the contents of the compartment (4) are frozen, the tray (1) which is suspended in the frame (15) of an ice preparation unit, is pivoted about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the rotational body segment, until the openings of the compartment (4) are in the downward direction and the ice-cubes slide out from the compartments when heated.

Description

Ice maker, tray and operating method for it

The present invention relates to an icemaker tray having a plurality of compartments arranged in a number of rows, compartments separated by partitions, an icemaker in which such a tray can be used, and an operating method for such an icemaker.

In conventional automatic ice makers and ice maker trays, for example as known from US Pat. No. 6,571,567 B2, the individual compartments in which the ice is produced are essentially cuboid. Although this shape allows a good space utilization, but it has the disadvantage that the demolding of the finished ice cubes is difficult, since when a piece of ice begins to dissolve from the bottom of his compartment, between him and the floor creates a cavity in which Negative pressure prevails. This keeps the piece of ice in its place, as long as no pressure equalization between this cavity and the environment is brought about.

For a standalone, non-fixed icemaker tray, a user can manage by pushing the open side of the compartments down onto a firm base when the pieces of ice are ready. Such a violent impact can easily dislodge the ice pieces far enough from the shelf to allow air to follow. However, this solution is unsatisfactory, since the pieces of ice usually also violently hit the surface and thereby scattered or damaged.

In an automatic ice maker, this method is not applicable for demolding the ice cubes. A common approach to solving the demolding problem is here to attach to the icemaker tray an electric heater that is put into operation when the ice cubes in the compartments are ready to superficially surface them. However, a satisfactory solution to the problem is not yet achieved, because the water film formed during thawing tends due to capillary forces to wet the entire surface in contact with the ice piece and tray. If the icemaker tray with superficially thawed pieces of ice turned upside down, so the weight of the pieces of ice causes that slightly off the shelf, the resulting gap is, however, through Filled with water, which must be sucked out of the gaps between the ice cube and the side walls of the compartment, overcoming the capillary forces occurring there. As long as this water retreats from the gap between the piece of ice and at least one side wall of the compartment to the bottom, it very reliably prevents the ingress of air between the piece of ice and the bottom of the compartment. Removal from the mold can be even more difficult at first than with ice cream that has not thawed, as can easily be determined experimentally, when an icemaker tray with only slightly thawed pieces of ice is hit on a base. Only when a sufficiently wide gap between the ice and the walls of the compartment has been created with increasing thickness of the water layer, in fact, air between the ice and the shelf can penetrate, and the piece of ice falls out of the compartment.

Obviously, even this solution is not fully satisfactory, because the need to partially thaw the already finished pieces of ice, causes a non-negligible energy consumption of the ice maker, and it loads the energy balance of a refrigerator, in which such an icemaker is used.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an ice maker and a tray and a method of operation for this, which allow a reliable and easy demolding of ice cubes with minimal energy consumption.

The object is achieved on the one hand by an ice maker tray with a plurality of subjects, in which the subjects each have the shape of a rotating body segment. This shaping allows a movement of the finished pieces of ice along the circumference of the segment without creating a gap between the walls of the compartment and the piece of ice. Negative pressures, which can hinder the demolding, therefore do not occur. In addition, it allows demolding of the ice pieces by applying pressure on a part of their free surface, which is not possible with a conventionally shaped compartment.

Preferably, the rotary body is a cylinder, because with the cylindrical shape, a fairly good space utilization can be achieved. The axes of the rotational body segments of all compartments are preferably parallel. Thus, a single pivoting movement about the common axis is sufficient to allow all superficially thawed or otherwise loosened ice pieces to easily slide out of their subjects. Since a gap is not generated along a displacement of the ice pieces along the circumferential surface of the rotating body segment, no capillary forces counteract displacement of the ice pieces, so that even a water layer of minimal thickness, in which capillary forces are highly effective, is sufficient to demold the ice pieces close.

Preferably, the compartments of the icemaker tray are arranged in at least one row, and on one longitudinal side of each row of compartments and at least a part of their transverse sides is formed a wall projecting over the upper edge of the compartments of the row. This design of the ice maker tray makes it possible to bring this in an inclined state in which filled in the compartments water floods the partitions in an area adjacent to the protruding wall area, so that a precisely the same water level can be achieved in all subjects. When such a tray is pivoted to an upright state for freezing, in which the partitions are substantially horizontal and no longer flooded, neatly separated pieces of ice of exactly uniform size can be made.

Preferably, the number of rows in the ice maker tray is one. While it is conceivable to make an ice maker tray of the above-described type with any number of rows, in such a tray the overhanging walls must prevent the exchange of water between adjacent rows to prevent water from the other rows in the inclined position lowest row collects. A standardization of the volumes of ice cubes is therefore possible only within a row.

In order to achieve a slanted state sufficient cross section for the passage of water between the subjects, the wall should protrude at least 5 mm above the upper edge of the intermediate walls. - A -

An electric heater may be provided on the icemaker tray to accelerate and facilitate demolding by superficial roughening of finished pieces of ice.

In order to achieve an intensive heat exchange with the environment, the tray may be provided with protruding heat exchanger fins. These ribs can simultaneously serve to hold a rod-shaped heating device inserted between them.

The object is further achieved by an ice maker with an ice maker tray of the type described above and a rack in which the tray between an upright position in which the openings of the compartments facing upward, and a discharge position in which the openings of the compartments point down to an axis is pivotal.

In order to make the ice maker compact, the center axis of an imaginary smallest cylinder surrounding the tray is preferably selected as the pivot axis.

The upper edges of the intermediate walls are in the upright and the tilted position preferably above the pivot axis. As a result, a large cross-sectional area of the compartments can be realized with simultaneously compact outer dimensions of the ice maker.

The object is further achieved by an operating method for the ice maker, in which after freezing the ice pieces they are superficially thawed and the tray is pivoted about an axis parallel to the axes of the body segments rotational axis in a position in which the openings of the compartments down point.

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

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ice maker tray according to a first elementary embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a section through the ice maker tray of Fig. 1 in the upright

Status;

Fig. 3A is a section through the ice maker tray of Fig. 1 in the tilted

Status;

Fig. 3B is a section through the ice maker tray of Fig. 1 in a

Emptying position;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of an automatic ice maker according to a further developed embodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the ice maker of Figure 4 in the assembled state with Eisbereiter tray in tilted position.

Fig. 6 is a section through the ice maker of Fig. 5 in the designated Vl-Vl

level

7 shows the section of Figure 6 with partially cut sensor housing ..;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 5, with the ice maker tray in an upright position; FIG.

Fig. 9 is an analogous to Fig. 7 section with the ice maker tray in upright

Position;

10 is a perspective view similar to Figures 5 and 8 with the

Ice maker tray in emptying position;

FIG. 11 shows a section analogous to FIGS. 7 and 9; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective exploded view from below of

Ice-maker tray. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an elemental embodiment of an ice maker tray according to the present invention, which is usable as an accessory in a freezer. The tray 1 is a molded part made of solid plastic, in the form of a groove with a semi-cylindrical bottom, which are closed at their front sides by transverse walls 2 and divided by uniformly spaced intermediate walls 3 in a plurality of identically shaped compartments 4, here six pieces is. While the partitions 3 connect flush to the viewer facing the longitudinal wall 5, the viewer facing away from the longitudinal wall 6 is extended beyond the upper edges of the partitions 3 addition. While the partitions 3 are exactly semicircular, the transverse walls 2 each have, in accordance with the projection of the rear longitudinal wall 6, a sector 7 which extends beyond the semicircular shape.

On the outer circumference of the tray 1, the longitudinal walls 5, 6 are connected by two plane surfaces 8, 9. In the position of Fig. 1, the flat surface 8 forms the footprint of the tray 1. Fig. 2 shows a section through the tray 1 in the plane indicated by dotted lines II, II in Fig. 1 level. The compartments 4 are filled with water 10 here; the water level runs below the upper edges of the partitions 3 parallel to these.

FIG. 3A shows the same tray in a tilted state resting on the flat surface 9 adjoining the raised longitudinal wall 6. The water level here is parallel to the upper edges of the sectors 7 of the transverse walls 2, while the partitions 3 are overflowed on part of their width, as indicated by a dashed line, from the water 10. In this position, water can flow freely from one compartment 4 to another, so that the same water level is established in all compartments. In this position, the tray 1 can be filled with water. To subsequently freeze the water in neatly separate pieces, the tray 1 is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 in a freezer compartment.

After freezing the water in the compartments 4, the tray 1 is removed from the freezer again to dissolve the pieces of ice. For this purpose, the ice cubes z. B. be solved by tapping or kneading the tray of the walls and then pushed out by pressure with a finger on its free top in the vicinity of a longitudinal wall to the other longitudinal wall out of the subjects. Alternatively, the ice cubes are allowed to thaw superficially, for example, by leaving the tray 1 in air at room temperature or by immersing the tray in warm water, so that a layer of water between the walls 2, 3, 5, 6 of the tray 1 and the ice pieces forms. The thickness of the water layer can be very small, it should only be the direct contact between the pieces of ice 10 "and the walls of the tray to be lifted 1. Now, when the tray 1 is pivoted about an axis perpendicular to the sectional plane of Figures 2, 3A axis, followed by on a water film sliding pieces of ice 10 "of the pivoting movement not, as seen in Figure 3B, they finally slide over the edge of the longitudinal wall 5 away and fall out of the tray 1.

Fig. 4 shows an automatic ice cube maker according to the present invention in an exploded perspective view. Elements of this ice maker, which are functionally identical to those of the tray of Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. One recognizes the tray 1, which is reproduced in an approximately corresponding to the position of FIG. 3A orientation, with seven separated by partitions 3 compartments 4. A facing away from the viewer longitudinal wall 5 is flush with the upper edges of the partitions 3, while a the viewer facing longitudinal wall 6 is extended beyond the upper edges of the partitions 3 addition. The tray 1 may be a plastic molding, preferably, because of the good thermal conductivity, it is designed as a cast aluminum.

On one of the transverse walls 2 of the tray 1, a hollow cylinder 11 is mounted; it serves for the sheltered accommodation of a coiled supply cable 12, which serves for the power supply of a not visible in the figure, mounted on the underside of the tray 1 heater 13 (see Fig. 12). The tray 1 lies completely within an imaginary extension of the lateral surface of the hollow cylinder 11, which also represents the smallest possible cylinder into which the tray fits. An axle journal 14 projecting from the transverse wall 2 facing the viewer extends on the longitudinal central axis of the hollow cylinder 11.

A molded plastic frame is designated 15. It has an upwardly and downwardly open cavity 16 which is provided to mount the tray 1 therein. On the end walls 17, 18 of the cavity 16 are bushings 19, 20 for the pivotable mounting of the tray 1 shaped. A longitudinal wall of the cavity 16 is formed by a box 21 which is provided to receive a drive motor 22 as well as various electronic components for controlling the operation of the icemaker. On the shaft of the drive motor 22, a pinion 23 is mounted, which can be seen better in each case in Figures 6, 7, 9 and 11 than in Figure 2. When fully assembled icemaker finds the pinion 23 space in a cavity 24 of the end wall 17th It forms there with a gear 25, a reduction gear.

The gear 25 carries a projecting in the axial direction pin 26 which is provided to engage in a vertical slot 27 of a vibrating body 28. The vibrating body 28 is guided horizontally displaceable by means of the front wall 17 in the cavity 24 projecting pin 29 which engage in a horizontal elongated hole 30 of the vibrating body. A toothing 31 formed on a lower edge of the oscillating body 28 meshes with a toothed wheel 32, which is provided so as to be non-rotatably mounted on the stub axle 14 of the tray 1.

A to be screwed on the open side of the end wall 17 cover plate 33 closes the cavity 24. A mounting flange 34 with laterally beyond the end wall 17 protruding tabs 35 is used for mounting the icemaker in a refrigerator. A bottom plate 36 closes from below the box 21st

Fig. 5 shows, seen from the side of the end wall 18 and the box 21 ago, in a perspective view of the ice maker with the tray 1 in a tilted position. The upper edges of the sectors 7 on the transverse walls 2 of the tray 1 are horizontal.

Fig. 6 shows a frontal view of the ice maker from the side of the end wall 17 ago, with cover plate 33 and mounting flange 34 are omitted to give the view into the cavity 24 of the end wall 17 free. The configuration shown here is the one where the icemaker is assembled. Various markings indicate a correct positioning of individual parts relative to each other. A first pair of markings 37, 38 is located on the end wall 17 itself, or on the gear 26 carrying the pin 26. If these markings 37, 38, as shown in the figure, are exactly aligned with each other, the pin 26 is located in a three o'clock position, that is, on the right-most point of his orbit, in the perspective of the figure he can reach. The mounted on the pin 26 and the stationary pin 29 vibrating body 28 is located at the right turning point of its path.

Aligned markings 39, 40 on a protruding beyond the sprocket flange 41 of the gear 32 and on the end wall 17 show a correct orientation of the gear 32 and consequently also with its journal 14 in a cross-sectionally T-shaped recess of the gear 32nd engaging tray 1 on. An inherently redundant pair of markers 42, 43 on the teeth 31 of the pivot body 28 and the gear 32 indicates the correct positioning of the gear 32 and the oscillating body 31 with respect to each other.

A sensor 44 for detecting the rotational position of the gear 32 is mounted adjacent thereto. It cooperates with a rib 45 projecting from the edge of the flange 41 on a part of its circumference in the axial direction, so that it can dive into a slot at the rear of the sensor housing. In the tilted position of FIG. 6, the rib 45 is largely hidden by the sensor 44 and the vibrating body 28. FIG. 7 differs from FIG. 6 in that the housing of the sensor 44 is shown partially cut open, so that two light barriers 46, 47 bridging the slot can be seen in its interior. The rib 45 is located just above the two light barriers 46, 47 so that an electronic control unit, not shown, based on the fact that both light barriers are open, can recognize that the tray 1 is in the tilted position and the drive motor 22 can stop to hold the tray 1 in the tilted position and can fill.

After a predetermined amount of water has been metered into the tray 1 under the control of the control circuit, the drive motor 22 is set in motion by the control unit to bring the tray 1 in the upright position in which the amounts of water in the compartments 4 of the tray. 1 neatly separated from each other. This position is shown in FIG. 8 in a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5 and in FIG. 9 in a front view corresponding to FIG. 7. The gear 25 is further rotated with respect to the position of FIG. 7 in the clockwise direction, but the same position of the tray 1 could also be achieved by a rotation of the gear 25 in the counterclockwise direction. The achievement of the upright position is recognized by the fact that the rib 45 begins to obstruct the lower light barrier 47. In the upright position, the tray 1 remains standing for a while until the water in the compartments 4 is frozen. The standing time in the upright position can be fixed; Alternatively, the control circuit may also be connected to a temperature sensor to determine a sufficient time at the measured temperature for freezing the water on the basis of a measured temperature in the environment of the tray 1 and a characteristic curve stored in the control circuit.

After elapse of this period, the drive motor 22 is restarted to rotate the gear 25 to the position shown in Fig. 11, with the pin 26 in the 9 o'clock position. The control circuit detects that this position is reached when both light barriers 46, 47 are open again. The rib 45 is now clearly visible in the figure over much of its length.

In this position, the compartments 4 of the tray 1 are open at the bottom, so that the pieces of ice contained therein can fall out. In order to facilitate the dissolution of the ice pieces, the already mentioned electric heater 13 is provided. As can be seen in Fig. 12, this heater 13 is a looped electric heating rod which extends in close contact with the tray 1 between heat exchanger fins 49 projecting from its underside and partly in one at the bottom of the tray 1 formed groove 48 is received.

By briefly heating the tray 1 by means of the heater 13, the pieces of ice in the subjects 4 are superficially thawed. The water layer thus produced between the tray 1 and the pieces of ice acts as a sliding film on which the pieces of ice are movable with very little friction. Due to the cylinder segment cross-sectional shape of the compartments 4, the pieces of ice easily slide out of the compartments 4 and fall into a collecting container, not shown, arranged under the icemaker.

With heating, it may be started so early before pivoting the tray that the ice pieces are already slidable when the tray is started to pivot; it may also start at a later date, so that the pieces of ice only become lubricious when the tray is already pivoted. The second alternative has the advantage that no more ice is thawed than absolutely necessary, since the pieces of ice the leave warm tray as soon as they are free, and then deprived of the effect of heating 13.

After draining the compartments 4, the drive motor is restarted, and the gear 25 is further rotated clockwise until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 5 to 7 again and begins a new cycle of operation of the icemaker.

Claims

claims

1. ice maker tray (1) with a plurality of compartments (4), characterized in that the compartments (4) each have the shape of a rotary body segment.

2. ice maker tray (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotary body is a cylinder.

3. ice maker tray (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the rotational body segments of all compartments (4) have parallel axes of rotation.

4. icemaker tray (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartments (4) are arranged in at least one row and that on a longitudinal side (6) of each row of subjects (4) and at least one part (7 ) of its transverse sides (2) over the upper edge of the compartments of the series separating partitions (3) projecting wall is formed.

5. ice maker tray (1) according to claim 4 according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wall projects at least 5 mm above the upper edge of the intermediate walls (3).

6. ice maker tray (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the number of rows is one.

7. ice maker tray (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by an electric heater (13).

8. ice maker tray (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the electric heating device (13) is an inserted between the tray (1) protruding heat exchanger fins heating rod.

9. ice maker with a tray (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tray (1) in a frame (15) of the ice maker between an upright position in which the openings of the compartments (4) facing upward, and a discharge position in which the openings of the compartments (4) facing down, about an axis is pivotable.

10. Ice maker according to claim 9, characterized in that the pivot axis of the tray is the central axis of a smallest surrounding the tray cylinder.

11. Ice maker according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the upper edges of the intermediate walls (3) lie in the upright and the tilted position on the pivot axis.

12. Ice maker according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the tray (1) in a tilted position, in which the intermediate walls (3) to the protruding wall having longitudinal side (6) are sloping down, can be determined.

13. The operating method for the Eisbereitemach according to one of claims 9 to 12, wherein after freezing the pieces of ice they are superficially antauen and the tray (1) is pivoted about an axis parallel to the axes of the rotating body segments of the compartments (3) in a position in which the openings of the compartments (3) point downwards.