JP2009121695A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator including an ice making device improved in convenience. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerator includes the ice making device 20 having a rotatable ice tray 9 to which the water is supplied to make ice, an ice storage case 11 for storing the ice separated from the ice tray 9 by rotating it, an ice storage detecting portion 17 detecting the amount of ice stored in the ice storage case 11, and an evening portion 21 for evening the ice stored in the ice storage case 11 by being rotated with the ice tray 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an ice making device that automatically makes ice.

  A conventional refrigerator having an ice making device for automatically making ice is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The ice making device of the refrigerator has a water supply unit arranged in the refrigerator compartment and an ice making unit arranged in the ice making chamber. The water supply unit has a water supply tank and a water supply pump.

  FIG. 6 shows a rear view of the ice making unit. The ice making unit 6 includes an ice making tray 9, an ice making motor 10, an ice storage detection lever 17, and an ice storage case 11. The ice tray 9 is supplied with water from a water supply unit, and ice 16 is made in an ice making chamber below the freezing point. The ice making motor 10 is connected to the rotation shaft 9 a of the ice making tray 9 and rotates the ice making tray 9.

  The ice storage case 11 is provided so that it can be taken in and out, and stores the ice 16 that has been removed from the ice tray 9. The ice storage detection lever 17 is connected to the ice making motor 10 and rotates independently of the ice tray 9. The ice storage detection lever 17 detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage case 11 by its load when it collides with the ice 16 when the tip portion is disposed in the ice storage case 11.

  In the refrigerator having the above configuration, when water is supplied from the water supply tank to the ice tray 9 by driving the water supply pump, the system waits until the water in the ice tray 9 is frozen and ice making is completed. When the water in the ice tray 9 is frozen, the ice tray 9 is rotated by driving the ice making motor 10. The rotating ice tray 9 abuts against a stopper (not shown) and is twisted to release the ice 16 into the ice storage case 11.

  The ice storage detection lever 17 periodically rotates. When it is detected that the ice storage case 11 is full, the ice tray 9 is prohibited from rotating. Thereby, ice making is stopped and it can prevent that the ice 16 overflows from the ice storage case 11. FIG.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-79721 (page 3 to page 4, FIG. 3)

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, the ice 16 is removed from the ice tray 9 at the same position of the ice storage case 11. For this reason, the ice 16 is biased and accumulated in the ice storage case 11, and even if the ice storage amount of the ice storage case 11 is small, the ice storage detection lever 17 erroneously detects the full ice condition. As a result, the ice making is stopped and the desired amount of ice 16 cannot be obtained, and the convenience of the refrigerator is poor.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator provided with the ice making apparatus which can improve the convenience.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rotatable ice tray that is supplied with water to make ice, an ice storage case that stores ice that has been deiced by rotating the ice tray, and an ice storage in the ice storage case. It is characterized by comprising an ice making device having an ice storage detecting portion for detecting the amount and a leveling portion that rotates together with the ice tray and smoothes the ice accumulated in the ice storage case.

  According to this configuration, the supplied ice tray rotates when the water freezes and is deiced in the ice storage case. This operation is repeated and stored in the ice storage case. The ice that is biased and collected by being deiced at the same position of the ice storage case is leveled by a leveling portion that rotates together with the ice tray. When the ice in the ice storage case is leveled by the leveling part, the ice storage amount is detected by the ice storage detection part. When the ice storage amount of the ice storage case exceeds a predetermined amount, the ice tray is prevented from rotating and ice making is stopped.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the leveling portion and the ice tray are integrally formed.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, the leveling portion is formed in a plate shape extending in the axial direction of the rotation axis of the ice tray and projecting downward from the ice tray. . According to this configuration, the plate-like leveling portion extending in the direction of the rotation axis of the ice tray rotates with the ice tray, and the ice that is biased and accumulated is leveled.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the refrigerator having the above configuration, the leveling portion is provided on a side wall of the ice tray.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that the refrigerator having the above-described configuration is provided with a dividing slit for dividing the leveling portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the ice storage case is provided with a first slit through which the leveling portion passes when the ice storage case is pulled out.

  According to the present invention, in the refrigerator configured as described above, the ice storage case is provided with a second slit through which the lever-shaped ice storage detection unit passes when the ice storage case is pulled out, and the first and second slits are arranged apart from each other. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, since the unevenness of the ice storage is leveled by the leveling part that rotates together with the ice tray, it is possible to prevent the ice storage detection part from erroneously detecting the full ice condition when the ice storage amount is small. Therefore, it is possible to prevent ice making from being stopped without obtaining a desired amount of ice in the ice storage case, and to improve the convenience of the refrigerator.

  According to the present invention, since the leveling part and the ice tray are integrally formed, the leveling part that rotates integrally with the ice tray can be easily realized.

  Further, according to the present invention, the leveling portion extends in the axial direction of the rotation axis of the ice tray and is formed in a plate shape projecting downward from the ice tray, so that the ice stored in the ice storage case is easily stored. Can be leveled.

  Further, according to the present invention, the leveling portion is provided on the side wall of the ice tray, and the ice tray rotates in a direction in which the side wall approaches the ice storage case, so that the ice stored in the ice storage case is more reliably leveled. Can do.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the dividing slit for dividing the leveling portion in the axial direction of the rotating shaft is provided, the load on the leveling portion when contacting the ice by the rotation can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the failure of the ice making device and improve the reliability.

  According to the present invention, since the ice storage case is provided with the first slit through which the leveling portion passes when the ice storage case is pulled out, the ice storage case can be easily put in and out.

  According to the present invention, since the ice storage case is provided with the second slit through which the lever-shaped ice storage detection section passes when the ice storage case is pulled out, the ice storage case can be easily put in and out. Moreover, since the first and second slits are arranged apart from each other, it is possible to prevent the ice from falling off from the ice storage case.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. The refrigerator 1 has a refrigerator compartment 2 disposed above and an ice making chamber 3 disposed below. The ice making room 3 may be provided in the freezing room. The refrigerator compartment 2 is opened and closed by a door 8, and the ice making chamber 3 is opened and closed by a door 13. A vegetable compartment 18 is provided between the refrigerator compartment 2 and the ice making compartment 3. In addition, the refrigerator 1 is provided with an ice making device 20 including a water supply unit 5 disposed in the refrigerator compartment 2 and an ice making unit 6 disposed in the ice making chamber 3.

  The water supply unit 5 includes a water supply tank 4, a water supply pipe 14, a water supply pump 7, a water supply tank detection unit 19, and an antifreezing heater 15. The water supply tank 4 stores ice-making water and is detachably installed from the refrigerator compartment 2. The water supply tank 4 can be taken in and out by opening and closing the door 8. The water supply pipe 14 is led out from the water supply tank 4 and extends to the ice tray 9 of the ice making unit 6.

  The water supply pump 7 is arranged in the path of the water supply pipe 14 and pumps water from the water supply tank 9 to supply water to the ice tray 9. Accordingly, the water supply pipe 14 and the water supply pump 7 constitute water supply means for performing a water supply operation from the water supply tank 9 to the ice tray 9. The water supply tank detector 19 detects the mounting state of the detachable water supply tank 4. The antifreezing heater 15 is provided in contact with the water supply pipe 14 and prevents freezing of water flowing through the water supply pipe 14.

  2 and 3 are a side view and a rear view showing the details of the ice making unit 6. The ice making unit 6 includes an ice making tray 9, an ice making motor 10, an ice storage detection lever 17, a leveling unit 21, and an ice storage case 11. The ice tray 9 is supplied with water from the water supply tank 4 to make ice 16 in the ice making chamber 3 below the freezing point. The ice making motor 10 is connected to the rotation shaft 9 a of the ice making tray 9 and rotates the ice making tray 9. The ice storage case 11 is provided so that the door 13 (see FIG. 1) can be opened and removed, and stores the ice 16 that has been removed from the ice tray 9.

  The ice storage detection lever 17 (ice storage detection unit) is formed in a lever shape, one end of which is connected to the ice making motor 10 and rotates independently of the ice making tray 9. FIG. 2 shows a state where the tip of the ice storage detection lever 17 is arranged in the ice storage case 11, and FIG. 3 shows a state where the ice storage detection lever 17 is retracted from the ice storage case 11. The ice storage detection lever 17 detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage case 11 by its load when it collides with the ice 16 when the tip portion is arranged in the ice storage case 11.

  The leveling portion 21 is made of a soft resin molded integrally with the ice tray 9 and is formed in a plate shape extending in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 9a of the ice tray 9 and projecting downward from one side wall 9b of the ice tray 9. Is done. As shown by an arrow A, the ice tray 9 rotates in a direction in which the side wall 9 b provided with the leveling portion 21 approaches the ice storage case 11. Further, the leveling portion 21 is provided with a plurality of dividing slits 21a having lower ends opened. The leveling portion 21 is divided in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 9a by the dividing slit 21a.

  In addition, the wall surface of the ice storage case 11 facing the door 13 is provided with first and second slits 11a and 11b having upper ends opened. The first slit 11a is formed to have a width and depth that allow the leveling portion 20 to pass when the ice storage case 11 is pulled out. The second slit 11b is formed to have a width and depth that allow the lowered ice storage detection lever 17 to pass when the ice storage case 11 is pulled out. Thereby, ice storage case 11 can be taken in and out easily. In addition, since the first and second slits 11a and 11b are formed apart from each other without being formed by one continuous slit, the respective widths can be reduced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the ice 16 from dropping from the ice storage case 11.

  In the refrigerator 1 having the above-described configuration, when the refrigerator 1 is turned on, the antifreezing heater 15 is driven, and water is supplied from the water supply tank 4 to the ice tray 9 by driving the water supply pump 7. When the predetermined time has elapsed and the water in the ice tray 9 is frozen, the ice removing operation is performed. That is, the ice tray 9 that is rotated by driving the ice making motor 10 comes into contact with a stopper (not shown), and the ice tray 9 is twisted and the ice 16 is deiced into the ice storage case 11. This operation is repeated, and the ice 16 is stored in the ice storage case 11.

  Further, ice 16 is removed from the ice tray 9 at the same position in the ice storage case 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the leveling unit 21 that rotates together with the ice tray 9 scrapes and leveles the ice 16 accumulated at the same position. At this time, the ice tray 9 rotates in a direction (arrow A) in which the side wall 9b provided with the leveling portion 21 approaches the ice storage case 11 (arrow A). I can do it.

  Moreover, the load of the leveling part 21 at the time of contact | abutting with the ice 16 by rotation by the parting slit 21a can be reduced. Therefore, the failure of the ice making device 20 can be reduced and the reliability can be improved.

  When the ice 16 of the ice storage case 11 is leveled by the leveling portion 21, the tip of the ice storage detection lever 17 that is rotated by driving the ice making motor 10 is arranged in the ice storage case 11. Thereby, the ice storage amount of the ice storage case 11 is detected. As shown in FIG. 5, when the ice storage amount of the ice storage case 11 exceeds the predetermined amount and the ice storage state becomes full, the ice tray 9 stops rotating by the detection of the ice storage detection lever 17, and the ice making is stopped. Thereby, the rotation of the leveling part 21 is also stopped.

  According to the present embodiment, since the unevenness of ice storage is leveled by the leveling unit 21 that rotates together with the ice tray 9, the ice storage detection lever 17 (ice storage detection unit) erroneously detects that the ice is full when the ice storage amount is small. Can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ice making from being stopped without obtaining a desired amount of ice in the ice storage case 11, and to improve the convenience of the refrigerator 1.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention can be utilized for the refrigerator provided with the ice making apparatus which makes ice automatically.

The side view which shows the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The side view which shows the ice making part of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The rear view which shows the ice making part of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The rear view which shows operation | movement of the leveling part of the ice making part of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The rear view which shows the full ice state of the ice making part of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention Rear view showing the ice making part of a conventional refrigerator ice making device

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigeration room 3 Ice making room 4 Water supply tank 5 Water supply part 6 Ice making part 7 Water supply pump 8, 13 Door 9 Ice tray 9a Rotating shaft 10 Ice making motor 11 Ice storage container 11a 1st slit 11b 2nd slit 14 Water supply pipe 15 Freezing Prevention heater 16 Ice 17 Ice storage detection lever 18 Vegetable room 19 Water supply tank detection part 20 Ice making device 21 Leveling part 21a Dividing slit

Claims (7)

  A rotatable ice tray that is supplied with water to make ice, an ice storage case that rotates the ice tray to store ice that has been deiced, an ice storage detection unit that detects the amount of ice stored in the ice storage case, and the ice making A refrigerator comprising an ice making device having a leveling portion that rotates together with a plate to smooth out ice accumulated in the ice storage case.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the leveling part and the ice tray are integrally formed.   3. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the leveling portion is formed in a plate shape extending in an axial direction of a rotation axis of the ice tray and projecting downward from the ice tray. 4. .   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the leveling portion is provided on a side wall of the ice tray, and the ice tray rotates in a direction in which the side wall approaches the ice storage case.   The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a dividing slit that divides the leveling portion in an axial direction of the rotation shaft.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ice storage case is provided with a first slit through which the leveling portion passes when the ice storage case is pulled out.   7. The ice storage case is provided with a second slit through which the lever-shaped ice storage detection unit passes when the ice storage case is pulled out, and the first and second slits are arranged apart from each other. refrigerator.

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