EP4080143B1

EP4080143B1 - Ice maker and refrigerator

Info

Publication number: EP4080143B1
Application number: EP22158700.9A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kaan CENESIZ; Emre KARAAGAC; Nihat Gunduz; Sonat Yayla
Original assignee: Arcelik AS
Current assignee: Arcelik AS
Priority date: 2021-03-23
Filing date: 2022-02-25
Publication date: 2023-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 2042-02-25
Also published as: EP4080143A1; PL4080143T3

Description

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ice maker comprising an improved coupling mechanism and to a refrigerator.

Prior Art

Ice cubes formed in automatic ice makers are stored in a storage receptacle and transferred out of the receptacle when the user desires. However, as a result of the accumulation of ice cubes in a certain area in the storage receptacle, the entire volume of the storage receptacle cannot be used effectively. Moreover, the ice cubes collected in the receptacle stick to each other after a while, and when the user wants to take ice, it is not possible to transfer the ice out of the receptacle or too much noise is generated when the ice is crushed by the blade group.
In the state of the art United States Patent Application No. US2019293336A1 , an ice maker assembly used in a refrigerator is disclosed. Said assembly comprises a front auger and a rear auger which simultaneously rotate and direct the ice cubes towards the front of the storage chamber. US 4 694 661 A relates to ice dispensing machines with storage capacity and delivery of ice.
US 5 029 737 A relates to an ice delivery mechanism in the dispenser.

The Aim of the Invention

The aim of the present invention is the realization of an ice maker and a refrigerator which overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art embodiments in a simple and cost-effective manner. Another aim of the present invention is to actively use the entire inner area of the storage receptacle and thus to increase the ice storage capacity Another aim of the present invention is to prevent the ice cubes collected in the storage receptacle from sticking to each other. Thus, when the user desires to take ice, the ice cubes in the expected form and dimensions are served to the user, and malfunctions and noise in the ice maker which may be caused while separating or crushing the ice cubes sticking to each other are prevented.

Brief Description of the Invention

The ice maker realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a storage receptacle in the form of a drawer wherein the ice pieces are stored; an auger shaft which extends between the front and rear walls of the storage receptacle; a front auger and a rear auger which are disposed so as to rotate on the auger shaft; a motor which rotates the front and rear augers; and a coupling mechanism which provides the connection between the motor shaft and the rear auger.
In the present invention, the ice maker comprises a coupling mechanism which enables the rear auger to be rotated in both directions independently of the front auger. Thus, the ice pieces can be displaced without being taken out of the receptacle, and scattered in the receptacle volume without sticking to each other.
The coupling mechanism is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft within a certain range of rotation angle only to the rear auger. In an embodiment of the present invention, the coupling mechanism is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft outside said rotation angle range to both the front auger and the rear auger. Thus, without moving the front auger, the rear auger makes rotational movement in both directions and enables the ice pieces to be displaced in the receptacle and scattered around various parts of the receptacle volume. When the ice pieces are desired to be pushed out of the receptacle, the front and rear augers rotate in the same direction and move the ice pieces in a certain direction, for example towards the opening at the front side of the receptacle.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the front auger is borne to the auger shaft such that the movement of the auger shaft is directly transferred to the front auger. In the present invention, the ice maker comprises an auger bush which is disposed between the auger shaft and the rear auger, whereon the rear auger is borne, and which can rotate around the auger shaft in both directions
The ice maker comprises a connection point in the storage receptacle where the front auger and the rear auger come in contact preferably without leaving any gap therebetween. The connection point can be located at the center of the auger shaft or closer to the front wall of the storage receptacle.
In the present invention, the coupling mechanism comprises a pin on the rear surface of the rear auger; and a washer which is disposed on the rear surface of the rear auger so as to limit the rotation of the pin with respect to the auger shaft to a certain rotation angle and which is connected to the auger shaft. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the washer is in the form of a D. The coupling mechanism comprises a connection means which fixes the washer to the auger shaft.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker comprises a cam-gear mechanism which allows the front auger to rotate in only one direction. The cam-gear mechanism comprises a circular gearwheel which is disposed at the part where the front auger is borne to the storage receptacle, and a cam which is disposed in the storage receptacle and which works in connection with the gearwheel. Thus, the front auger is enabled to rotate only in the direction to move the ice pieces out of the receptacle while dispensing ice pieces out of the receptacle. By means of the cam-gear mechanism, after completing the displacement movement independently of the front auger, the rear auger always remains at the same angular position with respect to the front auger.
The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention comprises an ice maker which has the technical properties described above.

Brief Explanation of Figures

The storage receptacle realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the top view of the storage receptacle in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 - is the sideways cross-sectional view of the storage receptacle in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 - is the rear view of the storage receptacle in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 - is the front perspective view of the storage receptacle in an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 - is the front view of the storage receptacle in an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of the References

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Storage receptacle
2. Auger shaft
3. Front auger
4. Rear auger
5. Coupling mechanism
6. Auger bush
7. Pin
8. Washer
9. Connection means
10. Cam-gear mechanism
11. Gearwheel
12. Cam

Detailed Description of the Invention

The ice maker comprises a storage receptacle (1) in the form of a drawer wherein the ice pieces (for example ice cubes) are stored; an auger shaft (2) which extends between the front and rear walls of the storage receptacle (1); a front auger (3) and a rear auger (4) which are disposed so as to rotate on the auger shaft (2); a motor which rotates the front and rear augers (3, 4); and a coupling mechanism (5) which provides a movement connection between the motor shaft and the rear auger (4) (Figure 1).
In the ice maker, the ice pieces are formed preferably in an ice tray (not shown in the figures) disposed above the storage receptacle (1), and then emptied into the storage receptacle (1). In order to take the ice pieces out of the storage receptacle (1), an opening through which the ice pieces are taken out of the storage receptacle (1) is provided at the front side of the storage receptacle (1). In order to divide the ice pieces into smaller pieces, a blade group may be provided outside the storage receptacle (1), in front of the storage receptacle (1). The motor is preferably positioned outside the storage receptacle, behind the storage receptacle.
In the present invention, the coupling mechanism (5) is configured to enable the rear auger (4) to rotate in both directions independently of the front auger (3).
The coupling mechanism (5) is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft within a certain range of rotation angle only to the rear auger (4). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coupling mechanism (5) is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft outside said range to both the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4).
In the preferred embodiments of the present invention, said rotation angle is smaller than 360 degrees. Said angle is preferably greater than 180 degrees. Thus, the movement of the motor which rotate the rear auger (4) within said rotation angle enables the rear auger (4) to rotate around the auger shaft (2) without making a full revolution in both directions independently of the front auger (3). When the rotation of the rear auger (4) is beyond said range of angle, the motor transfers a force to the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) to enable both to rotate together in the same direction. Thus, the rear auger (4) can displace the ice pieces in both directions without moving the front auger (3). When the ice pieces are desired to be taken out, both augers (3, 4) can be rotated simultaneously in the direction (ice dispensing direction) to move the ice pieces towards the opening at the front side of the storage receptacle (1).
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front auger (3) is borne to the auger shaft (2) such that the movement of the auger shaft (2) is directly transferred to the front auger (3). Thus, when the auger shaft (2) rotates, the front auger (3) also rotates in the same direction.
In the present invention, the ice maker comprises an auger bush (6) which is disposed between the auger shaft (2) and the rear auger (4), whereon the rear auger (4) is borne, and which can rotate around the auger shaft (2) in both directions (Figure 2). The auger bush (6) enables the rear auger (4) to be moved independently of the front auger (3).
The front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) come in contact at a connection point. This point is configured such that there remains almost no gap between the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4), and thus, when both augers (3, 4) move together in the ice dispensing direction, the ice pieces can easily move towards the exit. The auger bush (6) preferably extends from the rear surface of the rear auger (4) to the connection point. The connection point can be any point between the front and rear walls of the storage receptacle (1) on the rotational axis of the augers (3, 4). In other words, the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) can be in any length as long as the total length thereof extends through the entire storage receptacle (1). However, the connection point is preferably located at the center of the auger shaft (2) or closer to the front wall of the storage receptacle (1). In other words, the rear auger (4) has the same length as the front auger (3) or is longer than the front auger (3). Thus, ice pieces in a larger area in the storage receptacle (1) can be displaced.
In the present invention, the coupling mechanism (5) comprises a pin (7) which extends on the rear surface of the rear auger (4) facing the motor, preferably perpendicular to the rotational axis and which is positioned so as to rotate together with the rear auger (4); and a washer (8) which is disposed on the rear surface of the rear auger (4) so as to limit the rotation of the pin (7) with respect to the auger shaft (2) to a certain rotation angle and which is connected to the auger shaft (2). The washer (8) is preferably in the form of a D. Said rotation angle depends on the arc width of the washer (8). The smaller the arc width of the washer (8), the greater the rotation angle at which the pin (7) and thus the rear auger (4) can rotate independently of the front auger (3). The washer (8) is fitted over the auger shaft (2) in a form enabling both to rotate together. To this end, the coupling mechanism (5) may comprise a connection means (9) which fixes the washer (8) to the auger shaft (2) (Figure 2, Figure 3).
In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice maker comprises a cam-gear mechanism (10) which allows the front auger (3) to rotate in only one direction. The cam-gear mechanism (10) allows the front auger (3) to rotate in the ice dispensing direction, but prevents the same from rotating in the other direction. The cam-gear mechanism (10) comprises a circular gearwheel (11) which is disposed at the part where the front auger (3) is borne to the storage receptacle (1), and a cam (12) which is disposed in the storage receptacle (1) (for example on the front wall of the storage receptacle (1)) and which works in connection with the gearwheel (11) (Figure 4, Figure 5). In order to keep the cam (12) in contact with the gearwheel (11), a means, for example a leaf spring, which presses the cam (12) towards the gears, can be used. The cam-gear mechanism (10) rotates independent of the front auger (3), and enables the rear auger (4), which completes the movement of displacing ice pieces and of which the pin (7) bears against the washer (8), to be kept at the same angular position with respect to the front auger (3).
In another embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerator, is realized, comprising an ice maker having the technical properties described above. The refrigerator comprises a control unit, and the motor rotating the front and rear augers (3, 4) is controlled by said control unit. In an embodiment of the present invention, when the ice pieces are to be displaced, the control unit controls the motor such that the rear auger (4) is rotated for a certain amount of revolutions in both directions within said angle range. The control unit can automatically perform the ice displacement process in certain hours of the day (for example in day time) and/or at certain intervals.
In the ice maker of the present invention, the structure in the form of a spiral which enables the ice pieces to be moved in the storage receptacle (1) comprises a front auger (3) and a rear auger (4). The rear auger (4) can rotate in both directions within a certain angle range independently of the front auger (3). Thus, the rear auger (4) can move and displace the ice pieces back and forth in the storage receptacle (1) and enable the same to be more homogeneously scattered. While the rear auger (4) makes the rotational movement within said angle range, the pin (7) does not contact the washer (8) connected to the auger shaft (2) which transfers the rotational movement to the front auger (3). Thus, the front auger (3) is not rotated, and the ice pieces are prevented from being unnecessarily pushed out of the storage receptacle, and are enabled to be displaced in the storage receptacle (1). Outside said angle range, the pin (7) bears against the washer (8) and applies force to the auger shaft (2). In this case, the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) can move together in the ice dispensing direction where the ice pieces are pushed towards the front side of the storage receptacle (1). Consequently, the rotational movements of the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) can be controlled with a single motor in a manner suitable for the ice displacement process or the ice dispensing process.

Claims

An ice maker comprising a storage receptacle (1) in the form of a drawer wherein the ice pieces are stored; an auger shaft (2) which extends between the front and rear walls of the storage receptacle (1); a front auger (3) and a rear auger (4) which are disposed so as to rotate on the auger shaft (2); a motor which rotates the front and rear augers (3, 4); and a coupling mechanism (5) which provides a movement connection between the motor shaft and the rear auger (4), characterized by the coupling mechanism (5) which enables the rear auger (4) to rotate in both directions independently of the front auger (3) and which is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft within a certain range of rotation angle only to the rear auger (4), an auger bush (6) which is disposed between the auger shaft (2) and the rear auger (4), whereon the rear auger (4) is borne, and which can rotate around the auger shaft (2) in both directions and a pin (7) on the rear surface of the rear auger (4); and a washer (8) which is disposed on the rear surface of the rear auger (4) so as to limit the rotation of the pin (7) with respect to the auger shaft (2) to a certain rotation angle and which is connected to the auger shaft (2).
An ice maker as in Claim 1, characterized by the coupling mechanism (5) which is configured to transfer the rotational movement of the motor shaft outside said range to both the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4).
An ice maker as in any one of the above claims, characterized by the front auger (3) which is borne to the auger shaft (2) such that the movement of the auger shaft (2) is directly transferred to the front auger (3).
An ice maker as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a connection point in the storage receptacle (1) where the front auger (3) and the rear auger (4) get in contact without leaving any gap therebetween.
An ice maker as in Claim 4, characterized by the connection point which is located at the center of the auger shaft (2) or closer to the front wall of the storage receptacle (1).
An ice maker as in Claim 1, characterized by the coupling mechanism (5) comprising the washer (8) in the form of a D.
An ice maker as in Claim 1 or Claim 6, characterized by the coupling mechanism (5) comprising a connection means (9) which fixes the washer (8) to the auger shaft (2).
An ice maker as in any one of the above claims, characterized by a cam-gear mechanism (10) which allows the front auger (3) to rotate in only one direction.
An ice maker as in Claim 8, characterized by the cam-gear mechanism (10) comprising a circular gearwheel (11) which is disposed at the part where the front auger (3) is borne to the storage receptacle (1), and a cam (12) which is disposed in the storage receptacle (1) and which works in connection with the gearwheel (11).
A refrigerator comprising an ice maker as in any one of the above claims.