JP2006078021A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator improved in convenience by effectively sterilizing an ice tray, without removing an automatic ice making device from a main body, by irradiating with ultraviolet ray in accordance with rotation of the ice tray, and keeping the ice tray clean while preventing propagation of bacteria so as to be maintenance-free. <P>SOLUTION: In this refrigerator, an ice making device for receiving water supplied from a water supply tank provided in a cooling space in the ice tray 9 to make ice, automatically detecting, upon completing ice making, the completion to rotate the ice tray to separate ices, and storing the separated ices 22 in an ice storage box 8 is set in an ice making chamber 5 in a freezing space. This refrigerator comprises a light source 23 for irradiating the ice tray in the ice making chamber with light containing ultraviolet ray, and the irradiation with light by this light source is performed in accordance with rotating displacement of the ice tray. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice making device, and more particularly to a refrigerator that keeps an ice tray clean.

  In general, an automatic ice making device in a household refrigerator has a water supply tank installed in a refrigeration room, and the cold water in the water supply tank is guided to an ice making room maintained at a freezing temperature by a water supply pump, and a predetermined amount of water is supplied to an ice tray to make ice. However, after ice making, it is configured to be used by users by automatically deicing and storing the ice, and in recent years, it has become a standard feature of home refrigerators.

  With this automatic ice maker, since ice is eaten directly, recent needs for environmental hygiene have increased user needs for a structure that can be cleaned when it has not been used for a long time. Refrigerators having a configuration in which a water supply path mechanism such as a water supply tank, a water receiver, and a water supply pipe are removable and can be easily washed are commercialized.

  For ice trays, if you keep the refrigerator running constantly to make ice, the ice tray will continue to be supplied with fresh water, and because it is installed in a cold freezing temperature zone, Although there is almost nothing, if the ice making equipment stops for a long time such as in winter when ice is hardly used, or if it is installed in a villa etc. and the refrigerator operation is frequently stopped, juice etc. in the water tank If the juice component remains in the ice tray after ice making and making ice, miscellaneous bacteria in the ice tray may grow.

  Unlike the water supply tank and the water supply path, the ice tray is usually not visible from the outside and cannot be easily removed, and thus there is a risk that the ice tray will continue to be used without noticing the growth of dirt and bacteria.

  In order to remove the ice tray and clean it with respect to the above-mentioned problem, an ice tray guide is provided in which the ice tray is detachably fixed, and an ice making unit having a drive device and a bearing for rotating the ice tray guide is installed in the freezer compartment. The ice tray is removed from the ice tray guide for cleaning (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and devices such as an ice tray and an ice removing mechanism are housed in the housing, and the ice tray is integrated. An application (see Patent Document 2) has been disclosed in which an ice tray can be cleaned and replaced with a removable attachment mechanism that can be inserted into and removed from the housing.

In addition, a flat ultraviolet lamp is installed above the ice tray, the ultraviolet radiation surface of the lamp is opposed to the upper surface of the ice tray, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the ice tray to sterilize the adhering bacteria (Patent Document 3). Have been proposed).
JP 2000-180003 A JP 2001-116410 A JP 2003-287350 A

  Although it is possible to remove the ice making device including the ice tray from the refrigerator main body like a water supply tank and wash it from the above configuration, the configuration of Patent Document 1 intervenes another part called an ice tray guide. Therefore, the structure is complicated, and Patent Document 2 also has a large number of parts in which an attaching / detaching mechanism is integrally attached to the ice tray.

  For ice trays, in addition to attaching and detaching the device, it is also necessary to remove the power bundle from the main body side which is not disclosed in the above prior art and its reliable connection, but when the user attaches and detaches, In many cases, the connection of the electric bundle housing is incomplete, such as half-insertion, and it is substantially difficult for a general user to remove and clean the ice making apparatus together with the complexity of attaching and detaching the apparatus.

Furthermore, the configuration described in Patent Document 3 is intended to allow the ice tray to be irradiated with ultraviolet rays from an ultraviolet lamp with high efficiency without using a light reflecting member. UV lamps are expensive and highly prone to breakage, and ice trays are complex rugged structures, which may cause differences in the amount of UV irradiation depending on the location of each part. The present invention has been made paying attention to this point, and without detaching the automatic ice making device from the main body, by irradiating ultraviolet rays with the rotation of the ice making plate, the ice making plate can be effectively used. An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that is sterilized, prevents the growth of various bacteria, keeps the ice tray clean, is maintenance-free, and is easy to use.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention receives water from a water supply tank provided in a refrigerated space in an ice tray to make ice, and when ice making is completed, this is automatically detected and the ice tray is rotated and separated. In a refrigerator having an ice making device installed in an ice making room in a freezing space for storing ice in the ice storage box, a light source for irradiating light containing ultraviolet rays is provided on the ice making plate in the ice making room. Is performed together with the rotational displacement of the ice tray.

  According to the present invention, by rotating the ice tray and changing the irradiation density of light, each part of the ice tray can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays almost uniformly, and it is sterilized maintenance-free, and the ice making apparatus and ice tray The ice tray can be kept clean without removing it from the main body.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1 which is a longitudinal sectional view of a refrigerator according to the present invention, a refrigerator main body (1) formed of a heat insulating box body has a refrigerator space (2) at the top as its storage space and a lower part thereof. A vegetable compartment (3) and a freezer compartment (4) are independently arranged at the bottom, and a dedicated door is provided at the front opening of each storage room so that it can be opened and closed.

  An ice making chamber provided with an automatic ice making device (7) and an ice storage box (8) as shown in FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view from the front. (5) and a temperature switching chamber (not shown) are juxtaposed, and a water supply tank for supplying ice-making cold water to the ice tray (9) in the automatic ice making device (7) is provided on the bottom of the side in the refrigerator compartment (3). (10) is provided.

  At the rear of the freezer compartment (4) and vegetable compartment (3), a freezing cooler (11) and a refrigerating cooler (12) and cooling fans (13) and (14) are installed in the lower part of the main body. By driving the refrigerant compressor (15), the cool air cooled by the coolers (11) and (12) is blown into each chamber, and each is controlled to be cooled to a predetermined set temperature.

  The water supply tank (10) is a container having a narrow shape and a long shape in the depth direction. Water is stored in the tank, and its upper opening is sealed with a lid so that the water supply tank (10) is detachable at a predetermined position in the refrigerator compartment (2). About 10 square pyramid-shaped ice making blocks installed in the ice making chamber (5) via a water supply pipe (16) by driving a water supply pump installed in the container during water supply operation after ice making is completed. A predetermined amount, for example, about 100 cc of ice-making water is supplied into an ice-making tray (9) integrally molded with resin (9a).

  The water supply pipe (16) extends from the back of the refrigerating room (2) to the upper part of the ice tray (9) in the ice making room (5) through the partition heat insulation wall (17) at the bottom of the vegetable room (3). The cold water in the water supply tank (10) is sucked up by a pump according to a water supply signal at the start of ice making, and a predetermined amount is supplied into the ice tray (9) for ice making.

  (18) is a temperature sensor installed between the outer walls of the ice making block (9a) on the bottom of the ice tray (9), and the temperature sensor (18) detects completion of ice making due to a temperature drop from water to ice. In this case, the ice tray (9) is rotated and inverted about the rotation shaft (20) by a drive device (19) comprising a drive motor and a gear group, and a twist is added to each ice making block (9a). The ice block is separated and dropped into the ice storage box (8) below to store ice. In addition, this ice storage box (8) is provided so that it can be pulled out together with the door via a support frame attached to the ice making chamber door.

  (21) is a detection lever that extends into the ice storage box (8) and detects the amount of ice stored. This detection lever (21) is installed in the drive unit (19) every time the ice tray (9) is deiced and rotated. The ice storage amount is detected by contact with the accumulated ice (22) by swinging up and down in the ice storage box (8) below the ice tray by a cam interlocking with the rotation of the gear group provided on the ice tray. .

  2 and 3, the lower surface of the partition heat insulating wall (17) located above the ice tray (9) is irradiated with light including ultraviolet rays on the ice tray (9). 23) Arrange.

  The light source (23) is a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged along the longitudinal direction in parallel with the rotation axis of the ice tray (9), or an ultraviolet light (black light) having almost the same length as the ice tray. The irradiated light may include ultraviolet light of about 380 nm or less, and may include a visible light wavelength region such as purple, and the figure shows an example in which light emitting diodes are arranged.

  The light-emitting diode as the light source (23) may be either a bullet type or a mounting type, but the mounting type is desirable from the viewpoint of a wide irradiation angle and cost performance. Housed in a cover body (24) made of a material such as acrylic or glass with excellent properties. The cover body (24) desirably has a lens function for diffusing light.

  The light source (23) is controlled so as to be energized when the ice tray (9) is rotated to return to the original position after the deicing operation at the time of deicing. There is no ice block in the ice making block (9a), and it is in an empty state because it is not yet supplied with water, and the inner surface of this empty ice making tray (9) is irradiated with light containing ultraviolet rays, and In order to ensure an effective irradiation time (about 5 minutes), each rotation position is stopped by rotating for a predetermined time, for example, about 1-2 minutes, and rotating while irradiating at an appropriate rotation angle. The irradiation density can be sequentially changed, and each part can be irradiated almost uniformly to kill germs and suppress the growth.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, which is a view from the front of the ice tray (9), the light source (23) is placed on the rotation axis of the ice tray (9) and the ice tray (9) is stationary. In this case, light including high-density ultraviolet rays is irradiated only on the partition convex portion (9b) of the ice making block (9a) in the center of the ice tray, and other portions are far away. Although it is not efficient, by rotating the ice tray (9), each part of the inner surface of the ice making block (9a) is also irradiated.

  That is, by irradiating for 2 minutes at the rotation position shown in FIG. 4B, and then rotating for 2 minutes at the position of (c), the left and right inner surfaces of the ice making block (9a) are also irradiated. Light containing high-density ultraviolet rays can be irradiated, and an effective position having a high irradiation density with respect to the ice tray (9) surface can be changed.

  At this time, if irradiation is performed with the rotation angle of the ice tray (9) being 90 degrees, further 180 degrees, light including ultraviolet rays is transmitted to the side surface (9c) and back surface (9d) of the ice tray (9). By changing the position of the part where the irradiation density is high, it is possible to irradiate, and the light including ultraviolet rays to the inner surface of the ice tray (9) is uniformly irradiated, and efficient removal of germs without bias The ice tray (9) can be kept clean with an effect.

  The ultraviolet irradiation from the light source (23) is not limited to the above control, but in other states where there is no water in the ice tray (9), for example, the amount of water in the water supply tank (10) is less than a predetermined amount, A mode in which the water supply tank (10) itself is removed so that water cannot be supplied and the ice making operation is stopped, or the ice storage box (8) is full, or the control mode stops the ice making operation. However, when the water supply operation is not performed, the irradiation is periodically performed.

  At this time, the effect of sterilization is greater when UV irradiation is performed continuously, but in the case of a light emitting diode, it is necessary to consider the life of the light source (23) whose light intensity is halved in 10,000 hours, and the consumption of electricity. Therefore, it is desirable to irradiate intermittently. In this case, for example, the irradiation is controlled to be performed for 3 minutes every 60 minutes.

  FIG. 5 is an experimental data value showing the sterilization effect in the case of the above control, and 0.4 ml of water in which the number of bacteria was previously measured was dropped onto the surface of 10 ml of ice block in the freezing temperature atmosphere to attach the bacteria. In a state, using a light emitting diode having a light output of 2.7 mW, irradiating ultraviolet rays from a distance of about 10 cm, dissolving the ice in 100 ml of water after a certain period of time, and measuring the number of bacteria, the residual rate of the bacteria It is measured. As a result, as shown in the graph, it was confirmed that when ultraviolet rays were irradiated for 3 minutes and stopped for 57 minutes, an extremely large sterilizing effect was obtained with the passage of time as compared with the case of no irradiation.

  Due to the above control, the user is not aware that the water tank (10) is out of water while traveling, the ice usage is low as in winter, the ice storage box (8) is full, and the ice making operation is stopped. In addition, if the water supply operation is not performed over a long period of time, such as removing the water supply tank (10) by the user's own intention, this is detected and light containing ultraviolet rays is emitted from the light source (23) every predetermined time. The ice tray (9) is uniformly sterilized by being irradiated, maintenance-free and safe for the user, and the sterilization operation of the ice tray (9) can be continued effectively. .

  The position of the light source (23) is the upper part of the center of the rotation axis of the ice tray (9) in the above embodiment, but is shifted from the center in the W dimension width direction as shown in FIG. And placed directly above one ice making block (9a). If comprised in this way, in the horizontal state of the ice tray (9) shown to (a), and the rotation state of the predetermined angle to one direction shown to (b), irradiation to the ice making block (9a) of the width direction right and left The density changes, and both the ice making block (9a) can be irradiated with ultraviolet rays evenly, and it is not necessary to rotate the ice making tray (9) to the left and right as in the previous embodiment. Driving time can be reduced.

  The light source (23) is further installed on the side of the position, for example, at the corner with the side wall of the upper surface of the ice making chamber (5) as shown in FIG. Then, in addition to the above-described effects, the light from the light source (23) can irradiate the inside of the ice storage box (8) below the ice tray (9) in a horizontal state, and the stored ice mass (22) It can be sterilized by irradiation.

  That is, by supplying current to the light source (23) at the time of deicing operation from the start of deicing to returning to the original position after deicing, at the time of deicing rotation, from the ice making block (9a) accompanying twist deicing When the ice is separated and dropped, the entire outer surface including the back surface of the ice tray (9) is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and at the time of subsequent return rotation, the ice is stored from the light source (23) as shown in FIG. 7 (b). Since the irradiation area to the upper surface opening of the box (8) is enlarged, the ice block (22) part can be irradiated with light containing ultraviolet rays having a high irradiation density by stopping the rotation for a predetermined time at this time.

  Furthermore, at the time of the subsequent return rotation to the original position, as shown in FIG. 7C, if the rotation is stopped at the position facing the light source (23) from the front and irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the light source becomes empty. The ice tray (9) can uniformly irradiate the inner surface, and can also kill germs by changing the irradiation density at each position sequentially, and is a clean ice tray immediately after sterilization ( 9) It is possible to supply new ice-making water.

  By controlling in this way, not only the ice tray (9) but also the ice block (21) stored in the ice storage box (8) can be irradiated with light including ultraviolet rays. While keeping the dish (9) clean, the ice block (22) in the ice storage box (8) can be sterilized. Moreover, since fresh ice-making water is supplied to the ice tray (9) from the water supply tank (10) immediately after sterilization, it can be made in a more clean state.

  As can also be understood from FIG. 7 (a), according to the present embodiment, the ice tray (9) and the ice storage box (8) are moved from the water supply to the ice making as described above. In addition to being able to irradiate with ultraviolet light in a predetermined time cycle, not only the ice block (22) stored in the ice storage box (8) but also ice sterilization water can be sterilized, and ice making is performed with more cleanliness. be able to.

  The position of the light source (23) is the same as that of the other embodiment, and the same reference numeral is assigned to the ice tray (9) in the horizontal state as shown in FIG. You may make it irradiate the light containing an ultraviolet-ray from the light source (23) provided in the parallel side part side. At this time, if the light source (23) is a light emitting diode, a plurality of light sources are installed in a row along the rotation axis, and if it is an ultraviolet lamp, they are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the ice tray (9) and light Is arranged so as to irradiate the ice block (21) stored in the ice storage box (8) installed at the lower part of the ice tray (9).

  With this configuration, the ice block (9) in the ice storage box (8) can be irradiated over a wide range even when the ice tray (9) is in a horizontal state. Sufficient time for germs can be taken, and cleaner ice can be eaten.

  As described above, by rotating the ice tray, the ice tray can be prevented from being irradiated with ultraviolet light at a certain position, and the bias of the sterilization action due to the fixation of the irradiation density can be prevented. Since the inside of the ice tray can be irradiated with UV light almost uniformly by changing the light irradiation density, it is possible to eliminate the need for sterilization or the propagation of bacteria in the ice tray without maintenance. Remove to get clean ice.

  The present invention can be used in a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice making device.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the refrigerator which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the detailed structure of the automatic ice making apparatus part in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 as viewed from the front. It is a front view of the ice tray which shows the relationship between rotation of the ice tray in FIG. 3, and the irradiation state of a light source, (a) is the horizontal state of an ice tray, (b) is the left rotation inclination state of an ice tray, (c). Indicates the right-hand tilt state. It is a graph which shows the microbe elimination effect by ultraviolet irradiation. FIG. 4 is a state diagram in which the position of the light source with respect to the ice tray is shifted in the width direction from the center, in which (a) shows the horizontal state of the ice tray, and (b) shows the counterclockwise tilt state of the ice tray. FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the present invention, and is a state diagram showing the relationship between the light source position at the upper corner of the ice making chamber and the ice storage box as compared with FIG. 6, and (a) is the ice tray horizontal state. (B) shows the deicing state, and (c) shows the returning state from the deicing. FIG. 8 is still another embodiment of the present invention, and is a state diagram in which the light source is provided on the side of the ice tray as compared with FIG. 7, (a) is the horizontal state of the ice tray, and (b) is the ice tray. Indicates the vertical state.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigeration room body 2 Refrigeration room 3 Vegetable room 4 Freezing room 5 Ice making room 7 Automatic ice making device 8 Ice storage box 9 Ice making tray 9a Ice making block 9b Partition recess 9c Ice making side face 9d Ice making plate bottom
10 Water tank 16 Water supply pipe 17 Partition insulation wall
18 Temperature sensor 19 Drive unit 20 Rotating shaft
21 Detection lever 22 Ice block 23 Light source
24 Cover body

Claims (8)

  The ice tray receives water from the water tank provided in the refrigerated space and makes ice. When ice making is completed, the ice tray is automatically detected and the ice tray is rotated and deiced. In a refrigerator in which an ice making device for storing ice is installed in an ice making room in a freezing space, a light source for irradiating light including ultraviolet rays is provided on the ice making tray in the ice making chamber, and light irradiation by the light source is performed together with rotational displacement of the ice making tray. A refrigerator characterized by doing it.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of light sources that emit light are arranged as light emitting diodes along the rotation axis of the ice tray.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the light source for irradiating the light is installed above the vertical line of the rotation center of the ice tray in the ice making state and shifted in any width direction.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the ice tray in a horizontal state is irradiated with light including ultraviolet rays from a light source provided on a side portion parallel to the rotation axis.   The light irradiation was performed for a predetermined time after the ice tray was de-iced until the ice-making water was injected, and the tray position was displaced by rotating the ice tray from a horizontal position by a predetermined angle in accordance with the light irradiation. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   6. The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the inner surface of an empty ice tray before water pouring is made to oppose to the light source and irradiated with light containing ultraviolet rays.   The ice making tray is irradiated with light including ultraviolet rays from the light source after the ice removing operation of the automatic ice making apparatus, and the ice in the ice storage box is irradiated with light from the light source by the subsequent rotation of the ice making tray. The refrigerator according to claim 5.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein after the water is supplied to the ice tray, the ice tray is irradiated with light including ultraviolet rays from a light source.

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