JP2010060235A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator with an automatic ice maker, detecting failure determination on an ice making tray attach/detach detecting means to prevent the ice making tray from being not detected to disable ice releasing operation or to make one sheet of ice when the ice making tray attach/detach detecting means fails in the refrigerator with the automatic ice maker. <P>SOLUTION: Ice making operation is performed using an ice making timer 26, and failure determination on the ice making tray attach/detach temperature detecting means 23 is performed by an ice making motor torque detecting means 27 to carry out the confirmation on initial failure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

  In recent years, refrigerators with automatic ice makers have become mainstream. An automatic ice maker incorporated in a refrigerator or the like automatically supplies ice-making water from a water storage tank provided in the refrigerator through a water supply pipe, automatically makes ice, rotates the ice-making tray when ice is formed, and A twist is applied to drop the ice in the ice tray into the ice storage container.When a certain amount of ice has accumulated in the ice storage container, it is detected by the ice storage detection lever, etc., and the ice making operation is stopped and the ice in the ice storage container is stopped. When the amount of water is reduced, it is detected by the ice storage detection lever, water is supplied again, and ice making automatically resumes.

  Here, the ice tray of the automatic ice maker is generally connected and fixed to the rotating shaft of the drive mechanism driven by the motor of the automatic ice maker, but cannot be separated from the drive mechanism. It was a structure that could not be done. Therefore, in order to improve the hygiene of ice trays, we proposed a refrigerator with an automatic ice maker that can be separated from the drive mechanism and improved so that it can be taken out of the refrigerator, making it easier to clean the ice tray, etc. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 7 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing a structure of a portion provided with a conventional refrigerator automatic ice maker described in Patent Document 1, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the automatic ice maker. In each figure, 1 is a refrigerator main body, and this main body 1 has a freezer compartment 2 and a refrigerator compartment 3 inside. 4 is a door for opening and closing the front opening of the freezer compartment 2, and 5 is a door for opening and closing the front opening of the refrigerator compartment 3. The automatic ice making machine 6 is provided in the freezer compartment 2, and the overall structure thereof is an ice making tray 7, and a drive mechanism 8 for turning the ice making tray 7 downward and removing the ice while twisting the ice making tray 7 when the ice making is completed. Consists of. Reference numeral 9 denotes a mechanism box that houses the drive mechanism 8 and has a motor, a gear, and the like inside. The mechanism box 9 is installed and fixed at a predetermined location in the back of the freezer compartment 2. Reference numeral 10 denotes a rotating shaft that protrudes from the mechanism box 9 and is connected to the ice tray 7 to rotate it.

  A water storage tank 11 for storing ice-making water is provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, and the water in the tank 11 is led to the upper part of the ice-making tray 7 in the freezer compartment 2 through a water supply pipe 13 by a pump 12. The water is supplied from above. The ice tray 7 has a box-like container shape whose upper surface is open, and the inside thereof is partitioned into a plurality of small chambers 7m to produce ice of a predetermined size. In addition, 21 is a cooling fan and 22 is an evaporator.

  The ice tray 7 is integrally provided with a connecting portion 14 that can be fitted to the rotary shaft 10 at the central portion of the longitudinal end portion 7b facing the mechanism box 9. A long shaft portion 16 acting as an ice tray support provided on the ice making machine support 15 is inserted from the longitudinal end 7c of the ice tray 7 opposite to the connecting portion 14 so that the ice tray 7 is The ice making machine support 15 is rotatably supported. As a result, the ice tray 7 is first rotated clockwise by the motor in the mechanism box 9 with the rotation axis P as a fulcrum, and then reverses and rotates counterclockwise. ing. A projection 17 for twisting is provided on the longitudinal end 7c of the ice tray 7, while the projection 17 is provided on the inner surface of the end wall 20a from which the shaft 16 of the ice making machine support 15 projects. An arcuate guide groove 18 that fits and slides is formed. As the ice tray 7 is rotated by the rotating shaft 10, the projection 17 slides on the guide groove 18 and is finally on one end side of the guide groove 18. After the rotation is stopped and the rotation is stopped, a twist is applied to the ice tray 7 so that the ice is easily deiced.

  An ice storage container 19 is arranged so as to be able to be taken in and out below the ice tray 7, and the ice tray 7 rotates when the ice making is completed, and accepts ice falling when the ice removing operation is performed.

  Here, the ice tray 7 is rotatably mounted on the ice machine support 15 and the ice tray 7 and the ice machine support 15 are integrated with each other from the rotating shaft 10 on the mechanism box 9 side. The structure is such that it can be separated, whereby the ice tray 7 can be easily cleaned.

When performing the ice making operation, the ice making tray attachment / detachment detecting means 23 for detecting the presence or absence of the ice tray makes the ice removing operation when the ice tray is present, and repeats a series of ice making operations. If there is no ice tray, the ice making tray is attached. Wait for ice making operation.
JP 2000-161824 A

  However, when the ice making tray attachment / detachment detecting means fails in the above-described conventional configuration, there is a problem that the ice making tray cannot be detected and the ice removing operation cannot be performed or one piece of ice is formed.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a refrigerator with an automatic ice making machine that can determine whether or not the ice tray mounting / dismounting detection means has failed.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the refrigerator of the present invention forcibly performs ice removing operation at regular time intervals, operates the ice making motor with the ice making plate attachment / detachment detecting means short-circuited, and the motor torque is less than the constant torque. Since it is determined that there is no dish and the ice making motor attaching / detaching detecting means is open and the ice making motor is operated to determine that the motor torque is equal to or greater than a certain torque, there is a failure detection of the ice making tray attaching / detaching detection.

  In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention can detect the presence or absence of an ice tray by detecting the torque of the ice making motor by forcibly performing the ice removing operation when the power is turned on, and performing a failure determination of the ice tray removing and attaching detection means. Can do.

  In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention performs a water supply operation forcibly every fixed time, so that it can be determined that there is no dish when there is no temperature change in the ice tray temperature detection, so the failure determination of the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means is performed. Can do.

  Further, the refrigerator of the present invention can detect the presence or absence of an ice tray by detecting the temperature change of the ice tray temperature detection by forcibly performing a water supply operation when the power is turned on, and makes a failure determination of the ice tray removal detection means. be able to.

  Moreover, if the refrigerator of this invention judges that it is a failure of ice tray attachment / detachment detection, the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means can notify a failure state by a buzzer warning means and an LED display means.

  The refrigerator of the present invention can detect the failure state of the ice tray removing / attaching detection means by the torque during operation of the ice making motor.

  Moreover, since the refrigerator of the present invention can detect the failure state of the ice tray attaching / detaching detecting means by the torque at the time of operation of the ice making motor when the power is turned on, the initial failure can be confirmed.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention can detect the failure state of the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means by the temperature change of the ice tray temperature detection by the water supply operation.

  In addition, the refrigerator of the present invention can detect the failure state of the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means by the temperature change of the ice tray temperature detection by the water supply operation when the power is turned on, so that the initial failure can be confirmed.

  Moreover, the refrigerator of this invention can warn with a buzzer and can perform abnormality display by LED display, when the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means detects a failure.

  The invention described in claim 1 includes an ice tray driving means for operating the ice tray by an ice removing mechanism, an ice tray attachment / detachment detection means for detecting the presence or absence of the ice tray, and an ice tray temperature detection means for detecting the ice tray temperature. Since the ice making motor torque detecting means for detecting the torque during the operation of the ice making motor and the ice making timer for making the ice making operation at regular intervals are provided, it is possible to determine the failure of the ice tray removing / detecting means by the ice making motor torque detecting means. .

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the power is turned on, the ice making motor torque detecting means can determine the failure of the ice making tray attachment / detachment detecting means.

  The invention according to claim 3 can determine the failure of the ice tray removal detection means by comparing the ice tray removal detection means immediately after the water supply with the ice tray removal detection means after a predetermined time has passed by the ice making timer. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the failure determination of the ice tray removing / detecting means is performed by comparing the ice tray removing / attaching detecting means immediately after supplying water with the ice making timer attaching / detaching detecting means after the elapse of a certain time by the ice making timer. It can be performed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, when the ice tray attachment / detachment detecting means breaks down, the failure state is detected by the ice tray temperature detecting means, the warning means is warned by a buzzer, and the LED display means is displayed. I'm going.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as those of the conventional example, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The ice making operation is performed by the ice making timer, and the failure determination of the ice tray removing / attaching detecting means 23 is performed by the ice making motor torque detecting means.

  A control algorithm is programmed by a microcomputer (not shown) mounted on an electronic board.

  Next, the operation flowchart of FIG. 2 will be described.

  As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2a, an ice making operation is performed by the ice making timer 26 (STEP 1), the ice making motor torque detecting means 27 detects the torque generated at the time of the reverse rotation of the motor as a current value, and the ice making tray attaching / detaching detecting means 23 Even if it is detected that there is an ice tray, it can be determined that there is no ice tray if the torque generated during the reverse rotation of the motor is below a predetermined value (STEP 2).

  In FIG. 2b, it is detected that there is no ice tray by the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means 23, and it can be determined by the ice making motor torque detection means 27 that the ice tray is present when the torque generated when the motor reverses is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (STEP 21). Therefore, it can be determined that the ice tray desorption detection means 23 is out of order.

  In FIG. 3, the ice making operation is performed when the power is turned on, whereby the ice making tray attachment / detachment detecting means can be determined as a failure by detecting the ice making motor torque.

  In FIG. 4, a water supply operation is performed by the water supply drive means 30, and the temperature of the ice tray temperature detecting means 23 is compared at the end of the ice making timer start (STEP 41). Then, the temperature is lowered (STEP 43). In other cases (STEP 42), it can be determined that the ice tray removing / attaching detecting means 23 is out of order.

  In FIG. 5, by performing a water supply operation when the power is turned on, it is possible to determine that the ice tray removal / attachment detection means 23 is out of order by comparing the ice tray temperature detection means with the ice making timer 26.

  FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram in which a buzzer detecting means 28 and an LED driving means 29 are added. When the ice tray attachment / detachment detection unit 23 is out of order, the operation of the first embodiment is performed, and a buzzer output from the buzzer warning unit 28 and an LED output signal from the LED driving unit 29 are output. The buzzer output is repeatedly turned on and off at a period of time t4 on and time t5 off. The LED drive output is repeatedly turned on and off at a period of time t6 on and time t7 off to perform buzzer output and LED display.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the ice tray driving means 8 for operating the ice tray 7 by the ice removing mechanism, the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means 23 for detecting the presence or absence of the ice tray, and the torque when the ice making motor is operated. The ice making motor torque detecting means 27 for detecting the ice making motor 26 and the ice making timer 26 for operating the ice making motor at regular intervals can determine the failure of the ice making plate attachment / detachment detecting means 23 based on the driving torque during the reverse operation of the ice making motor.

  When the ice tray attachment / detachment detecting means 23 breaks down, the buzzer driving means 28 warns and can be displayed by the LED display means 29, and an abnormal state can be warned and displayed.

  Although this embodiment has been described for each function, there is no problem even if they are used in combination.

  As described above, the refrigerator according to the present invention prevents the ice making operation from being disabled due to the failure in detecting and removing the ice tray, so that it can be applied to other temperature detection failures.

Functional block diagram of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Flowchart of refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Functional block diagram of the refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention Partial sectional view of a conventional refrigerator Disassembled perspective view of conventional automatic ice maker for refrigerator

Explanation of symbols

7 Ice tray 8 Ice tray drive means (drive mechanism)
23 ice tray removing / attaching detecting means 24 ice tray temperature detecting means 25 ice making position detecting means 26 ice making timer 27 ice making motor torque detecting means 28 buzzer warning means 29 LED driving means 30 water supply driving means

Claims (5)

  In the refrigerator-freezer with an automatic ice maker, the water supplied from the water supply device is stored in an ice tray installed in a freezer compartment to make ice, and after ice making, the ice tray is inverted by the ice release mechanism to release the ice. Ice tray driving means for operating the tray by an ice removing mechanism, ice tray mounting / dismounting detection means for detecting presence / absence of the ice tray, ice tray temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the ice tray, and motor for driving the ice making motor The ice making motor torque detecting means for detecting the torque and an ice making timer for making an ice making operation at regular intervals, the ice making operation is performed by the ice making timer, and the ice making motor torque detecting means determines the failure of the ice tray removing / detecting means. Refrigerator to do.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein an ice making operation is performed when power is turned on, and the ice making motor torque detecting means determines a failure of the ice tray removing / detecting means.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a water supply operation is performed by a water supply drive means, and a failure determination of the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means is performed by the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means and an ice making timer.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein a water supply operation is performed by the water supply driving means when power is turned on, and a failure determination of the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means is performed by the ice tray attachment / detachment detection means and an ice making timer.   The refrigerator with an automatic ice making machine according to claim 1, wherein when the ice tray attachment / detachment detecting means is out of order, the buzzer warning means and the LED display means give a warning and display.

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