JP2002039650A - Automatic ice machine in refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic ice machine in a refrigerator which can stably detect the temperature of water or ice at mounting into and removal of an ice making pan from an ice making chamber. SOLUTION: It becomes possible for this ice machine to stably detect the temperature of water or ice within an ice making pan 12, since a temperature sensor 28 sticks fast to the outside bottom of the ice making pan 12 when the user attaches the ice making pan 12, by being equipped with the above ice making pan 12, an output shaft 17a for supporting and rotating one end of the above ice making pan 12, a driver 17 for twisting the above ice making pan 12 by rotating the above output shaft 17a, a sensor retaining member 18 retained by the above output shaft 17a and projected in a position opposed to the outside bottom of the above ice making pan 12, and a temperature sensor 28 retained by the above sensor retaining member 18 and sticking fast to the outside bottom of the above ice making pan 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making machine for a refrigerator for producing ice in an ice making room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ice making apparatus provided in a refrigerator of this type has a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-323702. That is, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, an automatic ice making device 42 is installed in the freezer compartment 41 of the refrigerator main body 40. The automatic ice making device 42 mainly includes the cooler 4
3 and an ice tray 45 for cooling water with cold air circulating in the freezer 41 by a fan 44 to produce ice.
5 is rotated by a drive shaft 46 to give a deformation to separate the ice from the ice tray 45;
And an ice storage box 48 for storing ice separated and discharged from the storage tank. The ice tray 45 includes a front shaft 49 and a freezer compartment 41.
The rear end of the L-shaped frame 50 is fixed to the front end 51 of the L-shaped frame 50 having the rear end fixed to the driving device 47 fixed thereto. 46 is detachably engaged. Further, the front shaft 49 of the ice tray 45 has an end protruding from the groove 52 fitted to a separation preventing claw 57, 58 provided on the back side of the decorative cover 56 fixed to the front end of the partition wall 54 on both sides by a screw 55. The groove 52 does not come off. 59 and 60 are front end portions 5 of the frame 50.
1; nails provided on the back side of the decorative cover 56 supporting
61 is a door of the freezer compartment 41, 62 is a drive shaft 4 of a drive device 47.
The hollow pipe is longer than the drive shaft 46 and is located within the engaging portion 53 of the ice tray 45 with the temperature sensor housed in the bendable hollow pipe inserted into 6.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional construction, when the ice tray 45 is detached for the purpose of washing or the like, and the ice tray 45 is to be mounted again, the engaging portion 53 on the rear side of the ice tray 45 is required.
Is not visible from the near side, the insertion and engagement of the temperature sensor 62 and the engagement portion 53 with the drive shaft 46 are not easy, and are removed by ordinary customers using refrigerators,
Installation is extremely difficult.

A temperature sensor 62 for detecting the temperature of water or ice in the ice tray 45 is housed in a hollow pipe protruding from substantially the center of the drive shaft 46, so that an ice tray 45 suitable for temperature detection is provided. However, it is difficult to dispose it on the outer bottom surface, the temperature detection becomes unstable, and it takes time. Further, in order to detect the temperature with the above-described configuration, it is necessary to increase the height direction of the ice tray 45, which causes problems such as deterioration of the ice-removing property and enlargement of the space around the driving device 47.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is held by a sensor holding member that is held on an output shaft and protrudes to a position facing the outer bottom surface of an ice tray, and is in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator having a temperature sensor and for stabilizing temperature detection of water or ice in the ice tray when the ice tray is attached or detached.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an ice tray, an output shaft for supporting and rotating one end of the ice tray, and an output shaft for rotating the output shaft. A driving unit that gives a twist, a sensor holding member that is held by the output shaft and protrudes to a position facing the outer bottom surface of the ice tray, and a temperature sensor that is held by the sensor holding member and is in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator, comprising:

With the above configuration, when the ice tray is attached, the temperature sensor comes into close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray, so that the temperature of water or ice in the ice tray is stably detected.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is directed to an ice tray and an output shaft for supporting and rotating one end of the ice tray, and a twist on the ice tray by rotating the output shaft. And a temperature sensor held by the output shaft and protruding at a position facing the outer bottom surface of the ice tray, and a temperature sensor held by the sensor holding member and in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator, characterized in that:

In the above embodiment, when the ice tray is mounted, the temperature sensor is in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray, so that the temperature of water or ice in the ice tray can be stably detected, and the conventional temperature sensor can be used. Since it does not fit into such a hole of the ice tray, installation of the ice tray is simplified.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the output shaft is provided with one or more holding claws extending in the axial direction, and the sensor holding member is provided with a claw engaging portion connected to the holding claw. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator characterized by the following.

In the above embodiment, the same operation as that of the first embodiment is obtained, and the mounting to the output shaft can be facilitated, so that the workability is good and the cost can be reduced.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the refrigerator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 12 show an automatic ice maker of a refrigerator according to an embodiment corresponding to each of the first and second aspects of the present invention.

1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body.
Reference numeral 2 denotes an ice-making room provided slightly below the center of the refrigerator body 1. The ice making room 2 is constituted by a drawer type ice making room door 3, an upper heat insulating wall 4, a lower heat insulating wall 5, a rear heat insulating wall 6, and left and right heat insulating walls. Reference numeral 7 denotes a partition disposed on the inner side of the ice making chamber 2 and has an opening 8 for introducing cool air into the ice making chamber 2. 9
Is a cool air passage formed by the rear heat insulating wall 6 and the partition wall 7. A cooler 10 of the refrigeration cycle is arranged below and a fan 11 is arranged above. The cool air generated by the cooler 10 is circulated in the ice making chamber 2 through the cool air passage 9 and the opening 8 by the fan 11 and returns to the cooler 10 side.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a rectangular ice tray which is disposed in the ice making chamber 2 so as to be able to be taken in and out from the near side, and is divided into a plurality of ice chambers 13 extending upward and having a center line K in the longitudinal direction.
Are formed symmetrically to the left and right. This ice tray 12
Is used to cool the water injected into the ice chamber 13 with cold air circulating in the ice chamber 2 to produce ice, and to extend along the center line K at the front and rear upper ends which are both ends in the longitudinal direction and the front side which is the ice chamber door 3 side. A cylindrical shaft portion 14 as a shaft portion, a shaft portion 15 as a rear holding portion
And a contact portion 16 is provided at the front corner. In other words, when the ice tray 12 is rotatably and detachably held or gripped by a holding member described later with the shaft portions 14 and 15, the ice tray 12 rotates by itself even when the ice tray is held at a large inclination and is substantially horizontal. The above-mentioned configuration simplifies the holding configuration.

When the ice tray 12 is attached to and detached from a holding member, which will be described later, the shaft 15 is formed integrally with the ice tray 12 in a tubular shape, and has a substantially cross-section for receiving power transmission. A rectangular connecting portion 15a is provided, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer peripheral surface is formed in a two-stage shape in which the small-diameter portion 15b is first formed and the large-diameter portion 15c is formed on the ice tray side, as described later. When the ice tray 12 is held on the holding body, the large-diameter portion 15c hits the holding body to prevent the ice tray 12 from shifting back and forth. In addition, the ice tray 12 has a temperature detector 15d as an outer bottom surface between the ice chambers 13 adjacent in the width direction across the center line K in the longitudinal direction. A temperature sensor to be described later is brought into contact with the temperature detecting portion 15d. By bringing the temperature detecting portion 15d close to the center line of the shaft portion 15, the lead wire derived from the temperature sensor when the ice tray 12 rotates around the shaft 15 is formed. Wiring is not interrupted.

4 and 5, reference numeral 17 denotes a drive unit which is fixed in the ice making chamber 2, rotates the ice tray 12, deforms the ice tray 12, and separates the ice from the ice chamber 13, and a connecting part of the shaft part 15 of the ice tray 12. Output shaft 17a as shaft to which 15a is detachably connected
And protrudes from substantially the center. A holding claw portion 17b for engaging a sensor holding member 18 for holding a temperature sensor, described later, for detecting temperature is provided in an outer circumferential direction of the output shaft 17a, and is engaged with a claw engaging portion 18a of the sensor holding member 18, The vertical and horizontal displacement of the sensor holding member 18 is prevented. In order to hold the temperature sensor, a cylindrical space 18b having an inner diameter substantially equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the temperature sensor is projected from the output shaft 17a to the ice tray side in the sensor holding member 18. Is formed at a position facing the outer bottom surface of the ice making sensor, and each of the ice making sensors 18c and 18d prevents the ice making sensor from shifting back and forth.

The sensor holding member 18 has a substantially L-shape, and is formed to have a right angle or an acute angle to improve the adhesion between the outer bottom surface of the ice tray 12 and the temperature sensor when the ice tray 12 is mounted.

Numeral 19 denotes a holder as a frame which always supports or grips the ice tray 12 independently and, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, rotates and detachably supports or grips the ice tray 12 outside the ice tray 2. A U-shaped bearing 19a having a small opening on the upper surface as a support portion or a grip portion for detachably supporting or gripping the shaft portions 14 and 15 from above,
19b is formed at the front and rear portions, and has a rectangular opening region 19c in which the ice tray 12 can rotate. Accordingly, the front and rear bearings 19a and 19b, which are holding portions of the holding body 19, rotatably support or grip the shaft portions 14 and 15 of the ice tray 12, and balance the ice tray 12 substantially horizontally as bearings. is there.

Reference numeral 19d denotes both sides of the front inner surface of the holding body 19,
An opening portion 19c is formed by a blocking portion formed integrally with the holding body 19.
When the driving unit 17 is rotated counterclockwise from the horizontal state in which the ice tray 12 is supported, the hitting part 16 abuts. Are separated and discharged downward. 20 is fixed to the front side of the holding body 19,
Is a handle that is gripped by hand when taking the ice into and out of the ice making chamber 2, has an elastically deformable hook 20a, and is always covered by the ice making chamber door 3. Room 2
Facing the front opening.

Reference numeral 21 denotes a pair of rail-shaped guides provided horizontally on the left and right side walls of the ice making chamber 2 to guide the holding body 19 while sliding the holding body 19 into and out of the ice making chamber 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the holder 1 is located at the same height as the upper end face of the opening of the ice storage box 22 installed in the ice making chamber 2.
9 is guided and stored in the ice making chamber 2
Is rested on the upper end surface of the opening of the ice storage box 22 to be supported. Therefore, the ice storage box 22
When the is pulled out, the holding body 19 is supported only by the left and right guides 21 as shown in FIGS.

8 and 9, when the holding member 19 is guided by the guide member 21 and pulled out of the ice making chamber 2 and the rear end is sandwiched between the guide member 21 and the holding portion 23. As described above, the ice storage box 22 is formed so as to rest on the upper end surface of the opening of the ice storage box 22 drawn out of the ice storage chamber 2 together with the ice making chamber door 3. The holding section 23 closes the small opening of the bearing 19a on the near side when the holding body 19 is stored in the ice making chamber 2 so that the shaft section 14 does not rise when rotating. It is formed in part.

The ice storage box 22 is sandwiched and held between a pair of metal plates 24 having a front end fixed to the back side of the ice making chamber door 3. The guide arm 24 is provided with a movable pulley 25 at the rear end extending to the back of the ice making chamber 2, and the movable pulley 25 is rotated along a rail 26 as a guide horizontally mounted on the left and right side walls of the ice making chamber 2. The guide arm 24 is moved to move the ice storage box 22 into and out of the ice making chamber 2.
The rail 26 includes an upper rail 26a and a lower rail 26b.
The movable pulley 25 rolls between them. Reference numeral 27 denotes a fixed pulley fixed to the side wall of the ice making chamber 2 from the side of the ice making chamber door 3 of the ice making chamber 2, and supports the lower end surface of the guide arm 24 while rotating by the movement of the guide arm 24.

In the figure, reference numeral 28 denotes a temperature sensor whose resistance changes in accordance with the temperature. The temperature sensor 28 is held in the cylindrical space 18b of the sensor holding member 18 as described above, and faces the ice tray 12 from the output shaft 17a. The temperature detecting unit 15 d projects between the outer surfaces of the ice chambers 13 adjacent to each other in the width direction of the ice tray 12 to detect the temperature of water or ice in the ice tray 12. When water is supplied to the ice tray 12, the temperature sensor 28 lowers the resistance because the surface temperature of the outer bottom surface of the ice tray 12 rises, and the resistance decreases when ice is generated and the surface temperature of the ice tray 12 drops. Is higher. In this embodiment, when the resistance of the temperature sensor 28 becomes 7 kΩ, the temperature in the ice tray 12 reaches the range of −3 ° C. to −5 ° C., and it is determined that the ice making is completed. Reference numeral 29 denotes an ice detecting lever for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage box 22, one end of which is held by the driving unit 17 and rotated by the driving unit 17 to enter the ice storage box 22, and there is sufficient ice in the ice storage box 22. In this case, the ice is prevented from entering beyond the predetermined position by hitting the ice, and when the ice in the ice storage box 22 is insufficient, the ice detection lever 29 does not hit the ice and the predetermined amount in the ice storage box 22 is not reached. It is to enter beyond the position. In the present embodiment, when the ice detecting lever 29 enters beyond a predetermined position in the ice storage box 22, a detection switch (not shown) built in the driving unit 17 is set to be turned ON.

In the above embodiment, the operation of taking out the ice tray 12 of the ice making device for the purpose of washing or the like will be described. First, the ice making chamber 2 is opened by holding the ice making chamber door 3 with one hand and moving it toward the front as shown in FIGS. Then, when the ice making chamber door 3 is opened, the ice storage box 22 supported by the guide arm 24 moves outside the ice making chamber 2 via the rail 26 in the same manner. Guide arm 2
In 4, since the movable pulley 25 at the rear end moves along the rail 26, the ice making chamber door 3 moves by moving along the track of the rail 26, and the guide arm 24 rides on the fixed pulley 27. The rotation of the pulley 25 and the fixed pulley 27 promotes a smooth moving operation. When the ice making chamber door 3 is moved, the guide arm 24 stops around the fixed pulley 27 as the movable pulley 25 receives the reaction of the upper rail 26a, so that the ice making chamber door 3 is maintained in the moved state. be able to.

With the ice making chamber door 3 moved and stopped,
Holding the handle 20 with one hand, as shown in FIGS.
Is pulled out to the front and moved, the holder 19 slides on the left and right guides 21 and moves, and is supported on the upper end surface of the opening of the ice storage box 22 that is moving earlier. On the other hand, since the ice tray 12 held by the holding member 19 also moves while being held in the ice-making enabled state by the holding member 19, the driving unit 17
The output shaft 17a, the connecting portion 15c of the shaft portion 15 of the ice tray 12 from the temperature sensor 28 held by the sensor holding member 18,
This is because the temperature detectors 15d are smoothly separated from each other.

The ice tray 12 located outside the ice making chamber 2 has U-shaped bearings 19a and 19 having small openings as holding portions provided with front and rear shaft portions 14 and 15 at the front and rear of a holding body 19.
10 and 11, the user can remove it from the holder 19 by putting one hand into the opening area 19 c and lifting the ice tray 12 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

On the contrary, the installation of the ice tray 12 is basically performed in the reverse order. In particular, if the ice tray 12 is held with one hand and the front and rear shaft portions 14 and 15 are fitted in accordance with the bearings 19a and 19b of the holding body 19, even if the ice tray 12 is greatly inclined, it is balanced substantially horizontally by itself and is kept in a predetermined position. Mounted. When the holding body 19 is pushed backward with the handle 20, the holding body 19 is guided by the opening upper end surface of the ice storage box 22 and the guide body 21, moves into the ice making chamber 2, and moves together with the holding body 19. In the ice making tray 12, the temperature detecting portion 15d of the rear shaft portion 15 is in close contact with the temperature sensor 28, and then the connecting portion 15c is connected to the output shaft 17a of the driving portion 17.
, The ice tray 12, which has been held substantially horizontally including a small inclination, is surely corrected to be horizontal and installed in a state where ice can be made. Finally, the ice making room door 3 is pushed to close the ice making room 2, and the ice storage box 22 is installed below the ice making tray 12 to complete the operation.

As described above, the automatic ice maker of the present embodiment has the sensor holding member 1 which is held by the output shaft 17a and protrudes from the outer bottom surface of the ice tray 12 at a position facing the temperature detecting portion 15d.
8 and a temperature sensor 28 which is held by the sensor holding member 18 and is in close contact with the temperature detecting portion 15d which is the outer bottom surface of the ice tray 12, so that the temperature of the ice tray 12 is suitable for detecting the temperature of water or ice. A temperature sensor 28 can be arranged;
In addition to stabilizing the temperature detection, it is not necessary to increase the height direction of the ice making tray 12, and it is possible to eliminate the deteriorating factors such as the ice-free property and the expansion of the space. Further, the wiring of the lead wire of the temperature sensor 28 does not need to be housed in the drive unit 17 via the output shaft 17a, so that the internal structure of the drive unit 17 can be made complicated and workability can be reduced.

The output shaft 17a is provided with one or more holding claws 17b extending in the axial direction, and the sensor holding member 18 is provided with a claw engaging portion 18a connected to the holding claw 17b. The member 18 includes the output shaft 17a and the ice tray 12
Between the sensor holding member 18 can be suppressed,
The position of the temperature sensor 28 can be stabilized. Furthermore, assembling can be easily performed by providing a simple structure using the holding claws 17b as the connecting means.

Further, in the present embodiment, the ice tray 12 is mounted on a holder 19 which is provided so as to be able to be taken in and out of the ice making chamber 2, and the front and rear shaft portions 14, 15 and a bearing 19 having a small opening outside the ice making chamber 2.
a and 19b, so that they are detachably held. Ice tray 1
The holder 2 can be stably moved into and out of the ice making chamber 2 by the holder 19, and can be easily attached to and detached from the holder 19.

When the ice tray 12 is held by the bearings 19a and 19b as holding portions, the holding body 19 has a shaft portion 14 on the front side of the ice tray 12 and a shaft portion 15 as a rear holding portion. Since the ice tray 12 is held so that the plate 12 rotates smoothly and balances substantially horizontally,
The work of holding the ice tray 12 can be performed normally without particular care. Since the ice tray 12 is moved into and out of the ice making chamber 2 via the holder 19, only a simple holding structure for detachably holding the ice tray 12 may be provided. Providing a structure for taking in and out increases the size and complexity of the ice tray, and can also prevent the ice tray from being poorly handled.

Further, in the present embodiment, the holding body 19 is
When the drawer is moved by a drawer, it rests on the upper end surface of the opening of the ice storage box 22 and is supported, so that the holding of the ice tray 12 at the time of attachment / detachment is stabilized, and the attachment / detachment work can be facilitated. A simple structure using the ice storage box 22 instead of a special member can be used to reduce the cost, and the strength of the holding body 19 itself can be general and improved, and a cheap material can be used. Also, various selections can be made more easily than the case where the strength is designed with the highest priority, and the design can be facilitated.

Further, in this embodiment, since the holding body 19 is formed in a frame shape, the strength is structurally increased, so that not only the ice tray 12 itself is held, but also the ice tray 12 is held and the holding body 19 is made of ice. The ice tray 12 can be easily taken in and out of the chamber 2, and the small openings of the bearings 19a and 19b as holding parts make it easy to attach and detach the ice tray 12, and furthermore, when the ice tray 12 is rotated by the driving device 17, Ice tray 1 that can be securely held
2 can be easily rotated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the holding body 19 is
The ice making compartment 2 is opened by opening and closing the front of the
When the ice tray 22 is taken out of the ice storage box 22 and the ice storage box 22 is moved backward and stored in the ice making chamber 2,
The ice tray 2 is taken out of the ice making room 2 while being held therein, taken out of the ice making room 2 together with the ice making room door 3, or always resting on the upper end face of the opening of the ice storage box 22 contained in the ice making room 2 and supported. When the holder 22 and the holder 19 are put in and out of the ice making chamber 2, the guides 2 on the left and right side walls of the ice making chamber 2 are respectively provided.
1. It moves while being guided by a rail 26 as a guide.
Therefore, not only can the ice tray 12 be held when it is attached and detached, but also it can be stably held when it is taken in and out, and can have a simple structure using an ice storage box instead of using a special member for the support. In general, the strength can be increased. Further, since the shaft portions 14 and 15 as the holding portions located before and after the ice tray 12 are detachably held only by fitting into the bearings 19a and 19b as the holding portions before and after the holding body 19, The structure of the holding part is an ice tray 12
Since a general shaft and bearing mechanism for rotating the ice tray 12 to separate ice from the ice is used, and no special member is used, it can be held with a simple configuration.

Further, in this embodiment, the holding body 19 is
Since the bearings 19a and 19b have small openings on the upper surface when they move outside, the bearings 19a and 19b serve as holding portions.
The shafts 14, 15 can be detached from the bearings 19a, 19b simply by lifting the ice tray 12 in which the shafts 14, 15 as holding portions are fitted to the shafts a, 19b. Conversely, the shaft portions 14 and 15 are mounted on the bearings 19a and 19b from above.
The ice tray 12 can be held only by fitting into. Therefore, the ice tray 12 can be attached and detached very easily. When the holder 19 is placed in a predetermined position in the ice making chamber 2, the small opening of the bearing 19 a on the front side of the holder 19 is closed by a holding part 23 provided by utilizing a part of the upper wall surface of the ice making chamber 2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the shaft portion 14 from coming off from the bearing 19a when the ice tray 12 rotates.

Further, in this embodiment, the ice tray 12 is formed symmetrically with respect to the center line K of the ice tray, and provided at the front and rear upper ends of the ice tray 12 on the center line K.
The front shaft portion 14 removably holds the bearings 9a and 19b as holding portions of the bearing 9 and the shaft portion 15 as a rear holding portion so that the holding portion of the holding body 19 is independently balanced. Since it is configured to be held substantially horizontally, the shaft portions 14 and 15 as the holding portions of the ice tray 12 are
If the ice tray 12 is held on the bearings 19a and 19b as the holding portions of the ice tray 9, the ice tray 12 rotates around the shaft portions 14 and 15 to rotate the ice tray 12 with a small inclination even if the ice tray 12 is held at a large inclination. Substantially horizontally including the shaft 1
The frictional force of the bearings 4, 15 and the bearings 19a, 19b is applied to keep the balance, so that the holding structure can be stably held even with a simple structure, and the holding body 19 can be taken in and out stably.

[0038]

As described above, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises an ice tray, an output shaft for supporting and rotating one end of the ice tray, and the ice tray for rotating the output shaft. A drive unit that gives a twist to a sensor holding member that is held by the output shaft and protrudes to a position facing the outer bottom surface of the ice tray;
A temperature sensor held by the sensor holding member and in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray, wherein the temperature sensor comes into close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray when the ice tray is mounted. Therefore, the temperature of water or ice in the ice tray can be stably detected, and the ice tray is not easily fitted into the hole of the ice tray as in the conventional example, so that the ice tray can be easily attached.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the output shaft is provided with one or more holding claws extending in the axial direction, and the sensor holding member is provided with a claw engaging portion connected to the holding claw. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator, which can be easily mounted on an output shaft, thereby improving workability and reducing costs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of an automatic ice making machine for a refrigerator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the automatic ice making machine.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an end surface of a rotating shaft of the ice tray in the automatic ice making machine;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the automatic ice maker taken along a line II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4 of the automatic ice making machine;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where an ice storage box is pulled out from an ice making room in the automatic ice making machine.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the automatic ice maker taken along the line II-II in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the holder is drawn out of the ice storage box in the automatic ice making machine.

9 is a longitudinal sectional view of the automatic ice maker taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the automatic ice making machine with the ice tray removed from the holder in FIG. 8;

11 is a vertical sectional view of the automatic ice maker taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the refrigerator.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of the above-described device portion of a refrigerator provided with a conventional automatic ice maker.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an ice tray in the automatic ice machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 12 ice tray 17 drive unit 17a output shaft 17b holding claw 18 sensor holding member 18a claw engaging unit 28 temperature sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An ice tray, an output shaft for supporting and rotating one end of the ice tray, a drive unit for rotating the output shaft to twist the ice tray, and the ice making held on the output shaft. An automatic ice maker for a refrigerator, comprising: a sensor holding member protruding at a position facing an outer bottom surface of a dish; and a temperature sensor held by the sensor holding member and in close contact with the outer bottom surface of the ice tray. 2. The output shaft is provided with one or more holding claws extending in the axial direction, and the sensor holding member is provided with a claw engaging portion connected to the holding claw. 1
Automatic refrigerator of the described refrigerator.