JP2011202869A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator easy in attaching and detaching a water supply tank without complicating a structure or increasing a size of the structure, and making ice of high transparency.SOLUTION: In this refrigerator including an automatic ice making function for supplying water W in the water supply tank 17 to an ice tray through a water supply pathway 27 and making ice by cooling, a pressure reduction nozzle 39 disposed in a pressure reduction pathway 38 communicated with the water supply tank 17 for reducing a pressure in a space A in the water supply tank 17 by operating a pressure reduction pump 37, and a water supply nozzle 30 disposed in the water supply pathway 27 communicated with the water supply tank 17 for supplying the water W in the water supply tank 17 by operating a water supply pump 21, are disposed in parallel with each other in a state of projecting from a back section of the water supply tank 17, and the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reduction nozzle 39 are insertably and removably connected to connection members 31, 40.

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an automatic ice making function, and more particularly to a refrigerator capable of producing ice with high transparency.

  Conventionally, a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice making function has a water supply tank installed in a refrigeration room, water is supplied to the ice tray in the ice making room with a predetermined amount of water in the water supply pump, and ice making is automatically performed after ice making. It is configured to automatically provide ice to the user by deicing from the dish and repeating water supply, ice making and deicing again. The ice produced by a refrigerator having such an automatic ice making function is generally opaque. This is because the air dissolved in the water supplied to the ice tray becomes bubbles when the water freezes and is trapped on the frozen surface, resulting in a cloudy appearance.

  On the other hand, high-transparency ice that has no (or few) bubbles inside is beautiful to the eye and difficult to melt. For this reason, proposals have been made for producing ice that is suitable for eating and drinking and has high transparency. For example, in Patent Document 1, an ice tray is sealed with a lid, and ice is made while degassing water in the ice tray by depressurizing the sealed space with a vacuum pump, thereby obtaining highly transparent ice. Is disclosed.

JP 2009-243826 A

  However, in the case of Patent Document 1 described above, when transparent ice is made, a structure in which water is supplied and the generated ice can be taken out from the upper surface of the ice tray in a state where a lid for sealing the ice tray is provided, and ice making is performed. The ice tray needs to be strong enough to withstand the reduced pressure inside. In this case, there are problems that the structure becomes complicated and large, and the manufacturing cost is high. On the other hand, if pressure reduction is performed on the water supply tank side in order to avoid complication of the structure on the ice tray side, there is a problem that it becomes difficult to attach and detach the water supply tank.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to easily attach and detach the water supply tank without incurring a complicated structure and an increase in size, and to generate highly transparent ice. It is to provide a refrigerator that can.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the refrigerator according to the present invention is a refrigerator having an automatic ice making function for generating ice by cooling water supplied to an ice tray in the refrigerator body. A water supply tank that is detachably attached to the water supply tank, a pressure reducing path that reduces the pressure in the water supply tank by the operation of the pressure reducing means, and a water supply tank that is connected to the water supply tank and that operates in accordance with the operation of the water supply means. A water supply path for supplying the water to the ice tray, and a control means for controlling the pressure reducing means and the water supply means to execute automatic ice making, wherein the pressure reducing path protrudes from a rear surface portion of the water supply tank. A pressure reducing nozzle, and a connecting portion that is detachably connected to the pressure reducing nozzle, and the water supply path is provided on the rear surface portion of the water supply tank so as to protrude in parallel with the pressure reducing nozzle. A water supply nozzle, and having a connecting portion to the water is supplied for a nozzle and removably coupled.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, the pressure reducing nozzle provided in the pressure reducing path that is communicated with the inside of the water supply tank and depressurizes the inside of the water supply tank by the operation of the pressure reducing means, and is communicated with the water supply tank. And a water supply nozzle provided in a water supply path for supplying water from the water supply tank to the ice tray by operation. As a result, the water supply tank can be depressurized, so that highly transparent ice can be generated without complicating the structure of the depressurizing means and increasing its size. Further, the pressure reducing nozzle and the water supply nozzle are projected from the rear surface portion of the water supply tank, arranged in parallel to each other, and detachably connected to each connecting portion, so that the water supply tank, the pressure reducing means and the water supply means are connected. In addition, the arrangement is facilitated, and when the water supply tank is attached / detached from the front, there is no structure that becomes an obstacle, and the water supply tank can be attached / detached easily.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the principal part of the water supply tank by one Embodiment of this invention, a pressure reduction path, and a water supply path, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view Vertical side view of refrigerator Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the refrigerator Flow chart showing automatic ice making process by control unit

(One embodiment)
Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, in FIG. 2, the main body 2 of the refrigerator 1 is formed by filling a foam heat insulating material between the outer box and the inner box. Inside the refrigerator 1, a refrigerator room 3, an ice making room 4, a freezer room 5, and a vegetable room 6 are disposed at the bottom in order from the top. Among these, the refrigeration room 3 and the vegetable room 6 are refrigeration temperature spaces in which the room temperature is controlled to 1 to 4 ° C., both of which constitute storage rooms in the refrigeration temperature zone, The freezer compartment 5 constitutes a storage compartment in a freezing temperature zone. A heat insulating partition wall 7 is provided between the refrigerator compartment 3 and the ice making chamber 4, a heat insulating partition wall 8 is provided between the ice making chamber 4 and the freezer compartment 5, and a heat insulating partition wall 9 is provided between the freezer compartment 5 and the vegetable compartment 6. , Each is partitioned.

  The refrigerating room 3 is opened and closed by a side-opening rotatable refrigerating room door 3a, and the other ice making room 4, freezing room 5 and vegetable room 6 are a drawer-type ice making room door 4a, freezing room door 5a and vegetables. The doors 6a are opened and closed. Each storage room (refrigeration room 3, ice making room 4, freezing room 5, etc.) includes a refrigerating room door switch 10, an ice making room door switch 11, and a freezing room door switch 12 (which may be detected in any case). Is also provided).

  Behind the freezing room 5 is a freezing cooler 13 and the freezing air that is cooled by the freezing cooler 13 is supplied to the ice making room 4 and the freezing room 5 that are storage rooms in the freezing temperature zone and circulated. A fan 14 is provided. A machine room 15 is formed behind the vegetable room 6 and a compressor 16 is provided. The compressor 16 is shared by the refrigeration cooler 13 and a refrigeration cooler (not shown), and constitutes a well-known refrigeration cycle together with the compressor 16.

  A water supply tank 17 for storing ice-making water is provided in the lower part of the refrigerator compartment 3. The water supply tank 17 includes a tank body 18 and an opening / closing lid 19 that opens and closes an upper portion of the tank body 18. The opening / closing lid 19 is provided with a water supply cap 20. The water supply cap 20 opens and closes a water supply port for supplying water into the water supply tank 17. The tank body 18 and the opening / closing lid 19 are connected to each other in a watertight manner, that is, without leakage of water from the connection site, by a packing 18a (see FIG. 1B). The water supply cap 20 is attached to the open / close lid 19 by screwing, for example, and closes the water supply port in a watertight manner. Further, the packing 18a seals the upper part of the tank main body 18, and the water supply cap 20 seals the water supply port in an airtight manner, that is, without air leakage from the connection site. A water supply pump 21 (corresponding to water supply means in the present invention) for sending the water in the tank main body 18 to the outside is provided at the bottom of the tank main body 18.

  The ice making chamber 4 is provided with an ice tray 22 and an ice storage container 23 that is located below the ice tray 22 and stores ice. The ice storage container 23 is connected to the ice making chamber door 4a, and is put in and out with opening and closing of the ice making chamber door 4a. Water in the water supply tank 17 is supplied to an ice tray 22 in the ice making chamber 4 by a water supply pump 21, and ice is automatically generated (ice making) by cooling. That is, the refrigerator 1 has an automatic ice making function. The ice tray 22 is provided with an ice tray motor 24. The ice tray motor 24 functions as an ice removing means. The ice tray 22 is connected to the output shaft of the ice tray motor 24, and the ice is detached from the ice tray 22 by being rotated and twisted by the ice tray motor 24. Note that an ice storage amount detection lever 25 is attached to the ice making chamber 4 in order to detect whether or not the ice storage amount in the ice storage container 23 is full. When the ice stored in the ice storage container 23 comes into contact with the ice storage amount detection lever 25, that is, when a predetermined amount or more of ice is stored in the ice storage container 23, the automatic ice making stops.

Next, the water supply path 27 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the water supply path 27 is configured such that a water supply tank 17, a water supply pump 21, a water supply valve 26 and the like communicate with each other. The water supply pump 21 has an impeller (not shown) and is driven by a water supply pump motor 28 disposed behind the water supply tank 17. Specifically, a magnet 28 a is attached to the rotating shaft of the water supply pump motor 28. Thus, a magnet (not shown) provided on the impeller of the water supply pump 21 is rotated by rotating the magnet 28a on the water supply pump motor 28 side. By the rotation of the impeller, water in the water supply tank 17 is pumped up toward the discharge pipe 29 extending upward.

  The discharge pipe 29 communicates with the tank body 18 and is connected to a water supply nozzle 30 extending rearward from the rear surface portion of the water supply tank 17. The water supply nozzle 30 has a tapered portion 30a that is tapered on the tip side (the rear side of the refrigerator 1; the right side in the drawing). This water supply nozzle 30 is connected to a connecting member 31 (corresponding to a connecting portion in the present invention) so as to be insertable / removable. The connecting member 31 is made of an elastic material such as resin having elasticity, and an insertion port 31a having a shape corresponding to the tapered portion 30a of the water supply nozzle 30 is provided on the side where the water supply nozzle 30 is inserted. ing. The insertion port 31 a is formed to be approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the water supply nozzle 30. For this reason, the water supply nozzle 30 is watertightly connected to the connecting member 31 by accommodating the tip including the tapered portion 30 a in the connecting member 31.

  Further, the water supply path 27 is provided with a water supply valve 26 located behind the connecting member 31. The water supply valve 26 is a two-way valve, and opens and closes the water supply path 27. A water absorption side end portion 26 a of the water supply valve 26 (an end portion on the front side of the refrigerator 1) is connected to the connecting member 31 via a connection tube 32. The connection tube 32 is made of, for example, a resin material having elasticity, and connects the water absorption side end portion 26a of the water supply valve 26 and the connecting member 31 with watertightness and sufficient flexibility. The drain side end 26 b of the water supply valve 26 (the end on the rear side of the refrigerator 1) is connected to the water supply pipe 34 via the connection tube 33. This connection tube 33 is also formed of the same resin material as that of the connection tube 32 and connects the drain side end portion 26b of the water supply valve 26 and the water supply pipe 34 in a watertight manner. A water tray 35 is provided below the discharge portion of the water supply pipe 34. The water receiving tray 35 receives the water discharged from the water supply pipe 34 and guides the water to the water receiving pipe portion 35a connected below the water receiving tray 35. The water receiving pipe portion 35a extends downward from the water receiving tray 35 and extends obliquely forward so as to penetrate the heat insulating partition wall 7 as shown in FIG. 2, and its tip is disposed above the ice tray 22. .

  The water in the water supply tank 17 is supplied to the ice tray 22 through a water supply path 27 formed by communication between the water supply nozzle 30 and the water supply pipe 34. The water supply tank 17 stores water W for ice making up to a predetermined amount set smaller than the volume of the tank body 18.

Next, the decompression path 38 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 1A, the depressurizing path 38 is configured by communicating with a water supply tank 17, a depressurizing valve 36, a depressurizing pump 37 (corresponding to depressurizing means in the present invention), and the like. The water supply tank 17 is provided with a pressure reducing nozzle 39 that communicates with the inside of the tank body 18 and extends rearward from the rear surface portion of the water supply tank 17. As with the water supply nozzle 30, the pressure reducing nozzle 39 has a tapered portion 39 a that is tapered on the tip side (the rear side of the refrigerator 1, the right side in the drawing). This pressure-reducing nozzle 39 is connected to a connecting member 40 (corresponding to a connecting portion in the present invention) so as to be insertable / removable. The connecting member 40 is formed of an elastic material such as resin having elasticity, and an insertion port 40a corresponding to the shape of the tip of the pressure reducing nozzle 39 is provided on the side where the pressure reducing nozzle 39 is inserted. . The insertion port 40 a is formed to be approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the pressure reducing nozzle 39. The pressure reducing nozzle 39 is watertightly connected to the connecting member 40 by accommodating the tip including the tapered portion 39 a in the connecting member 40.

  Further, the pressure reducing path 38 is provided with a pressure reducing valve 36 located behind the connecting member 40. The pressure reducing valve 36 is a three-way valve, and opens and closes the pressure reducing path 38. An intake side end 36 a of the pressure reducing valve 36 (an end on the front side of the refrigerator 1) is connected to the connecting member 40 via a connection tube 41. The connecting tube 41 is made of, for example, a resin material having elasticity, and connects the intake side end portion 36a of the pressure reducing valve 36 and the connecting member 40 with airtightness and sufficient flexibility. An exhaust side end 36 b (end on the rear side of the refrigerator 1) of the pressure reducing valve 36 is connected to an inlet 37 a (intake side port) of the pressure reducing pump 37 through a connection tube 42. The connection tube 42 is also made of an elastic material, like the connection tube 41, and hermetically connects the exhaust side end 36 b of the pressure reducing valve 36 and the inlet 37 a of the pressure reducing pump 37. Further, the pressure reducing valve 36 is disposed so that the open end 36 c that is open to the atmosphere faces the side opposite to the water supply valve 26.

  The decompression pump 37 decompresses the space A (see FIG. 1B) in the water supply tank 17, more precisely, the water W formed in the tank body 18. The decompression pump 37 is constituted by a so-called vacuum pump of a gas transport type that discharges air taken in from the inlet 37a from the outlet 37b (exhaust side). In addition, the kind of pressure reduction pump 37 can use the thing of arbitrary structures, such as a rotary type, a piston type, or a diaphragm type, for example. In the pressure reducing pump 37, the inlet 37a and the outlet 37b are arranged on the same surface, and the inlet 37a is connected to the exhaust side end 36b of the pressure reducing valve 36 through the connection tube 42 as described above. For this reason, the outlet 37b of the decompression pump 37 is also directed forward. That is, the space in front of the outlet 37b is open without anything blocking the exhaust.

  A pressure sensor 43 as pressure detecting means is provided in the decompression path 38. The pressure sensor 43 detects the pressure in the water supply tank 17 and outputs a signal corresponding to the detected pressure. In the present embodiment, the pressure sensor 43 detects the pressure in the water supply tank 17 by detecting the pressure in the decompression path 38. That is, the pressure sensor 43 is attached to the connecting member 40 side that is a separate body from the water supply tank 17, and detects the pressure of the decompression path 38 formed in the connecting member 40.

  The water supply path 27 and the decompression path 38 are arranged in parallel to each other in the horizontal direction with respect to the installation state of the refrigerator 1. For this reason, in the water supply path 27, the water supply nozzle 30, the connecting member 31, the water supply valve 26, and the water supply pipe 34 of the water supply tank 17 are arranged on a straight line. In the decompression path 38, the decompression nozzle 39 of the water supply tank 17, the connecting member 40, the decompression valve 36, and the inlet 37 a of the decompression pump 37 are arranged on a straight line. In other words, the attachment / detachment direction of the water supply tank 17 attached / detached from the front of the refrigerator 1, the insertion / extraction direction of each nozzle, the direction of the water supply path 27 (part from the water supply tank 17 to the water supply pipe 34), and the direction of the pressure reduction path 38 are the same direction. It is directed (in the front-rear direction of the refrigerator 1).

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the water supply path 27 and the pressure reducing path 38 are placed or fixed on the holding plate 44. The holding plate 44 has a concave portion 44 a that houses a convex portion 17 a extending rearward from the water supply tank 17. The convex portion 17a of the water supply tank 17 is formed in a plate shape, and is formed in a trapezoidal shape having a narrow tip end (rear of the refrigerator 1). Further, the concave portion 44a of the holding plate 44 has a narrow bottom side (a position corresponding to the tip of the convex portion 17a) corresponding to the shape of the convex portion 17a. When the convex portion 17a is accommodated in the concave portion 44a, the water supply tank 17 and the holding plate 44 are positioned, and the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 provided in the water supply tank 17 and the connecting member 31, 40 is positioned at an appropriate position.

  Further, an engagement piece 45 as an engagement means is provided at a substantially center between the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction. The engagement piece 45 is supported by the coupling member 40 or the holding plate 44 so as to be vertically rotatable by a support shaft (not shown), and has a claw portion 45a on the tip (front) side. The claw portion 45 a is adapted to engage with an engagement recess 19 a provided on the upper surface of the opening / closing lid 19. Specifically, the engagement piece 45 is always urged by a torsion coil spring (not shown) so that the claw portion 45a side is rotated downward, and opens and closes when the water supply tank 17 is attached from the front. The claw portion 45a is pushed upward by the lid 19, and when the water supply tank 17 moves rearward to a predetermined position, the engagement piece 45 rotates downward, and the claw portion 45a and the engagement recess 19a are engaged. To do. Thereby, the forward movement of the water supply tank 17 is restricted, the water supply tank 17 is pressed toward the connecting members 31 and 40, and the water supply tank 17 and the connecting members 31 and 40 come into close contact with each other.

  FIG. 3 shows an electrical configuration of the main part of the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment. The control unit 50 (corresponding to the control means in the present invention) is constituted by a microcomputer provided with a CPU, RAM, ROM, I / O bus, etc. (not shown). The control part 50 controls the whole refrigerator 1 by executing the control program memorize | stored in ROM etc., for example. The control unit 50 is connected to a temperature sensor 51 that detects the temperature of the refrigerator compartment door 10, the ice compartment door switch 11, the freezer compartment door switch 12, and the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 5. The control unit 50 controls the water supply pump 21, the water supply valve 26, the pressure reducing pump 37, the pressure reducing valve 36, and the like based on these input signals. In addition, the control unit 50 includes a timer 52a that measures time and a counter 52b that counts the number of times of error N described later.

  The control unit 50 is connected to the operation panel 53. The operation panel 53 is provided, for example, on the refrigerator compartment door 3a, and displays information related to the operation of the refrigerator 1, such as the temperature in the refrigerator compartment 3 and the freezer compartment 5, the operation mode of the switching room, and the operation state of the sterilization function. And an input unit such as operation switches for inputting a user instruction. In a transparent ice making mode and a normal ice making mode, which will be described later, a user's selection is input from these switches. In addition, the operation panel 53 is provided with a notification lamp for notifying operation abnormality and the like. The operation panel 53 includes not only a visual display function but also a voice message output unit, for example. The operation panel 53 corresponds to selection means and alarm means in the present invention.

Next, the operation of the control unit 50 during automatic ice making will be described with reference to FIG.
When the power is turned on, the control unit 50 executes main processing (not shown) to execute control of the refrigeration cycle and the like, and also executes automatic ice making processing by an interrupt routine or the like. In the following description, it is assumed that the ice storage amount detection lever 25 is not operating (the ice is not full) and the ice making chamber door 4a is closed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the automatic ice making process. When the control unit 50 shifts to the automatic ice making process, the control unit 50 first executes initialization (S1). At this time, the control unit 50 performs initialization of the timer 52a and the counter 52b, setting of a pump driving time and a reduced pressure maintaining time, which will be described later, and the like. In this initialization process, for example, the pressure sensor 43 detects the pressure in the water supply tank 17 and checks the open / close positions of the pressure reducing valve 36 and the water supply valve 26 to enable water supply and ice making. You may make it determine whether it exists.

  When the initialization is completed, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the transparent ice making mode is set (S2). Here, the transparent ice making mode, which will be described in detail later, is a mode in which water is supplied after the inside of the water supply tank 17 is depressurized, and the normal ice making mode is a mode in which the inside of the water supply tank 17 is decompressed. In this mode, water is supplied without making ice. That is, the main difference between the transparent ice making mode and the normal ice making mode is whether or not the water supply tank 17 is decompressed.

  When the normal ice making mode is selected by the user (S2: NO), the control unit 50 proceeds to step S3 and sets the pressure reducing valve 36 to “atmosphere open” (the pressure reducing path 38 is opened to the atmosphere side). The water supply valve 26 is “open” (the water supply path 27 is opened and water can be supplied from the water supply tank 17). Subsequently, the control unit 50 starts the operation of the water supply pump 21 (S4). Thereby, the water in the water supply tank 17 is supplied to the ice tray 22 via the water supply path 27 (corresponding to a supply step in the present invention). At this time, the ice making tray 22 is supplied with an amount of water required for one ice making. Subsequently, the control unit 50 executes an automatic ice making process (S5). In this automatic ice making process, since the same ice making as in the prior art is performed, a detailed description is omitted. However, by monitoring the temperature of the ice tray 22 or the like, it is determined whether or not ice has been generated, and the ice is generated. When completed, the ice tray motor 24 is driven to move the ice from the ice tray 22 to the ice storage container 23 to perform ice removal. When the control unit 50 finishes the automatic ice making process, the control unit 50 returns to the main process.

As described above, when the normal ice making mode is selected by the user, the control unit 50 performs automatic ice making by supplying water in the same procedure as before and executing the ice making process.
On the other hand, when the user selects the transparent ice making mode (S2: YES), the control unit 50 opens the pressure reducing valve 36 (opens the pressure reducing path 38 between the water supply tank 17 and the pressure reducing pump 37). After the water supply valve 26 is “closed” (the water supply path 27 is closed) (S6), the operation of the decompression pump 37 is started (S7). In this case, since the water supply valve 26 is closed, the water supply tank 17 is sealed. The control unit 50 drives the decompression pump 37 in a state where the inside of the water supply tank 17 is sealed, so that the space A in the water supply tank 17, more precisely, without the water W in the water supply tank 17 (FIG. ))).

  When the operation of the decompression pump 37 is started, the control unit 50 sets the timer 52a to the pump driving time set in step S1 and starts (starts the operation) (S8). Here, the value of the pump driving time may be appropriately set depending on the capacity of the water supply tank 17 or the like. Subsequently, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the set pump driving time has elapsed (S9). If the pump driving time has not elapsed (S9: NO), the control unit 50 further includes the inside of the water supply tank 17 It is determined whether or not the pressure has become equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure (S10). At this time, if the pressure in the water supply tank 17 is not less than or equal to the predetermined pressure (S10: NO), the control unit 50 proceeds to step S9 and repeats the determination as to whether the pump driving time has elapsed. . On the other hand, the control part 50 transfers to step S11, when the inside of the water supply tank 17 becomes below a predetermined pressure (S10: YES). Here, a value set in advance may be adopted as the value of the predetermined pressure, or it may be set each time according to the amount of water in the water supply tank 17 or the like.

  As described above, after the decompression pump 37 is driven, the control unit 50 continues to drive the decompression pump 37 until the pressure in the water supply tank 17 becomes a predetermined pressure or lower or the pump drive time elapses. And when the pump drive time has passed without the pressure in the water supply tank 17 becoming below a predetermined pressure (S10: NO), the control part 50 transfers to step S17. Then, error processing is executed (S17). In this error processing, the control unit 50 issues a warning to the user indicating that the inside of the water supply tank 17 has not been sufficiently depressurized, for example, by displaying on the operation panel 53 or reproducing a message by voice. Thereby, for example, whether the open / close lid 19 of the water supply tank 17 is correctly attached or whether the water supply cap 20 is correctly attached can be urged to confirm the use state. In addition, the control unit 50 also executes a process for stopping the operation of the pressure reducing pump 37, a process for setting the pressure reducing valve 36 to “open to atmosphere”, a process for storing error contents in a storage means such as an EEPROM (not shown), and the like. Thereafter, the control unit 50 returns.

  On the other hand, before the pump driving time elapses (S9: NO), when the inside of the water supply tank 17 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure (S10: YES), the control unit 50 “closes the pressure reducing valve 36. ”(The pressure reducing path 38 is closed), and then the operation of the pressure reducing pump 37 is stopped (S11). Thereby, the inside of the water supply tank 17 is maintained in a reduced pressure state equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure. Subsequently, the control unit 50 sets the timer 52a to the decompression maintenance time set in step S1, and starts it (S12). Here, the value of the depressurization maintaining time may be a predetermined value as in the case of the pump driving time described above, or may be set each time according to the capacity of the water supply tank 17. When the timer 52a is started, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the depressurization maintenance time has elapsed (S13). If the depressurization maintenance time has not elapsed (S13: NO), the controller 50 further determines whether the depressurization maintenance time has elapsed. It is determined whether the pressure is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure (S14). And when the inside of the water supply tank 17 is below a predetermined pressure (S14: YES), when the pressure reduction maintenance time has passed (S13: YES), the control part 50 transfers to step S3, as above-mentioned. After supplying water to the ice tray 22, the ice making process is started (S3, S4, S5).

  As described above, the control unit 50 maintains the inside of the water supply tank 17 in a reduced pressure state equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure (corresponding to the pressure reduction process referred to in the present invention), so that the gas dissolved in the water in the water supply tank 17 is dissolved, for example. Facilitates the release of oxygen or the like into the decompressed space A. That is, the control unit 50 deaerates the water in the water supply tank 17. And the control part 50 performs the supply process which supplies this deaerated water to the ice tray 22 after a pressure reduction process, In the ice-making process of step S5, there is no bubble inside, and high transparency Generate ice. At this time, the deaeration of water is necessary and sufficient by maintaining the reduced pressure state below the predetermined pressure for the reduced pressure maintaining time.

If the pressure in the water supply tank 17 becomes higher than the predetermined pressure (S14: NO) before the depressurization maintenance time has elapsed (S13: NO), the control unit 50 sets the number of errors N to the counter 52b. After incrementing (S15), it is determined whether the number of errors N has reached the number of warnings (set to 3 in this embodiment) (S16). If the number of errors N has not yet reached the number of warnings (S16: NO), the control unit 50 proceeds to step S6 and repeats the above processing. On the other hand, when the number of errors N becomes the number of warnings (S16: YES), the process proceeds to step S17 to execute error processing.
Thus, the control unit 50 performs automatic ice making corresponding to the transparent ice making mode and the normal ice making mode by executing the automatic ice making process.

As described above, according to the refrigerator 1 according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
The refrigerator 1 deaerates the water W in the water supply tank 17 by depressurizing the space A in the water supply tank 17 via the pressure reducing path 38. At this time, the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 provided in the water supply tank 17 extend rearward from the tank body 18 and are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction. That is, the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 are arranged in parallel to each other on the same surface side of the rear portion of the water supply tank 17. Thereby, the water supply tank 17 can be easily attached or detached from the front of the refrigerator 1.

  The tip of the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 (the end on the rear side of the refrigerator 1) is inserted into and removed from the connecting member 40. The connecting member 40 is made of an elastic material having elasticity, and is connected to the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39 in a watertight and airtight manner. Thereby, it becomes possible to form a sealed state with a simple configuration. Therefore, it is not necessary to complicate the structure for sealing or to increase the size, and it is possible to generate ice with high transparency with a simple configuration and low cost, and the water tank 17 can be easily attached and detached. it can.

  A packing 18 a is provided on the upper portion of the tank main body 18 of the water supply tank 17, and the tank main body 18 and the opening / closing lid 19 are connected in a watertight and airtight manner, and a water supply port is also connected in a watertight and airtight manner by a water supply port cap 20. Thereby, it becomes possible to maintain the airtight state of the water supply tank 17, it is not necessary to continue operating the decompression pump 37, and power consumption can be suppressed.

  Since the engagement piece 45 is provided and engaged while pressing the water supply tank 17 toward the connecting members 31 and 40, the water supply tank 17 and the connecting member 40 can be reliably connected, and the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle. 39 and the connecting members 31 and 40 can be easily positioned. In addition, since the engagement piece 45 is arranged in the central portion between the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39, even when the water supply tank 17 is attached, the force is evenly applied to the water supply nozzle 30 and the pressure reducing nozzle 39. Distributed and never biased. Thereby, the air leak of the decompression path 38 and the water leak of the water supply path 27 can be prevented.

  Since the water supply valve 26 and the pressure reducing valve 36 are disposed behind the connecting members 31 and 40 in parallel with each other in the horizontal direction, the installation space is not increased in size. Moreover, the water supply tank 17 can be easily attached or detached from the front.

  Since the open end 36c of the pressure reducing valve 36 is arranged toward the side opposite to the water supply valve 26 arranged in parallel, the open end 36c may be blocked and the pressure reducing path from the open end 36c. There is no risk of water entering 38. Therefore, it can prevent that the pressure reduction efficiency at the time of pressure reduction falls.

  Since both the inlet 37a and the outlet 37b of the decompression pump 37 are arranged facing forward, a space on the rear side can be secured and the space required for the decompression path 38 can be reduced in size. Moreover, since there is no possibility that the outlet 37b is blocked, the pressure can be reduced efficiently.

  Since the pressure sensor 43 is not directly attached to the water supply tank 17 but provided on the connecting member 40 side, wiring with the control unit 50 can be easily performed. Further, since the water supply pump 21 is provided in the tank body 18 and is driven in a non-contact manner by the magnet 28 a of the water supply pump motor 28, wiring and structures are connected between the water supply pump 21 and the water supply pump motor 28. There is no need. As a result, the water tank 17 can be easily attached and detached, and the convenience for the user is improved.

  Since the water supply path 27 and the pressure reduction path 38 are arranged in parallel, the water supply path 27 from the water supply tank 17 to the water supply valve 26 to the water supply pipe 34 and the pressure reduction from the water supply tank 17 to the pressure reduction valve 36 to the pressure reduction pump 37 are provided. Each of the paths 38 is arranged on a straight line. Thereby, water supply and pressure reduction can be performed smoothly. In this case, flexibility is connected between the water supply tank 17, the water supply valve 26, and the water supply pipe 34 and between the water supply tank 17, the pressure reducing valve 36, and the pressure reducing pump 37 by connection tubes 32, 33, 41, and 42. So that they can be easily connected to each other.

  By providing the pressure sensor 43, the pressure in the water supply tank 17 is detected, and the pressure in the water supply tank 17 is reduced to a predetermined pressure which is a low pressure sufficient for deaeration, so that degassing can be performed efficiently.

  When the inside of the water supply tank 17 becomes a predetermined direct level or less by driving the pressure reducing pump 37, the depressurized state of the space A in the water supply tank 17 is maintained, so that deaeration of water can be promoted. At this time, since the pressure in the water supply tank 17 is monitored so as not to exceed a predetermined pressure, the deaeration is further promoted, and the transparency of the generated ice can be further increased.

  When the pressure in the water supply tank 17 does not drop to a predetermined pressure while the pressure reducing pump 37 is being driven, and when the pressure in the water supply tank 17 exceeds the predetermined pressure while maintaining the pressure reduction state, that effect Therefore, it is possible to prompt the user to check such as confirmation of the open / close lid 19 and the water supply cap 20 of the water supply tank 17.

  An operation panel 53 is provided so that a clear ice making mode in which degassed water is supplied to generate ice with high transparency and a normal ice making mode in which water is supplied without degassing to generate ice can be selected. Therefore, the user can easily select the transparency of the ice, and when the ice is needed in a hurry, the user can immediately start generating ice by switching to the normal ice making mode.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified or expanded as follows, for example, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The structure of the refrigerator 1 is not limited to one embodiment. Of course, the present invention can be applied to a configuration in which the vegetable compartment 6 is provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, for example.
The pump driving time and the reduced pressure maintenance time may be measured by the timer 52a, and water supply may be started when they have elapsed. Thereby, control can be simplified and transparent ice can be made even if the pressure sensor 43 is not provided.

  In one embodiment, the ice making process is executed in the automatic ice making process for the sake of simplification, but both may be processed individually. That is, during the ice making process of step S5 in FIG. 4 (during ice generation), the pressure reducing process (water degassing process) after step S6 may be performed. As a result, as soon as ice making is completed, the deaerated water can be supplied to start ice making, and ice with high transparency can be efficiently made.

  In addition, the process returns to the main process after the ice making process is completed. However, since the ice making process takes a lot of time, the process returns to the main process when the ice making is started, and the generation of ice is determined by interruption or the like. It may be. The same applies to pressure detection in a pressure reduction process (steps S9, S13, etc.).

  In the drawings, 1 is a refrigerator, 17 is a water supply tank, 22 is an ice tray, 21 is a water supply pump (water supply means), 26 is a water supply valve, 27 is a water supply path, 28 is a water supply pump motor (water supply means), and 30 is for water supply. Nozzles 31 and 40 are connecting members (connecting portions), 35 is a water tray (water receiving portion), 36 is a pressure reducing valve, 37 is a pressure reducing pump (pressure reducing means), 37a is an inlet, 37b is an outlet, and 36c is an open end. , 38 is a pressure reducing path, 39 is a pressure reducing nozzle, 43 is a pressure sensor (pressure detecting means), 45 is an engaging piece (engaging means), 50 is a control unit (control means), 53 is an operation panel (selecting means, Alarm means).

Claims (12)

In a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice making function for generating ice by cooling water supplied to an ice tray in the refrigerator body,
A water supply tank that is detachably mounted in the refrigerator body from the front,
A pressure reducing path communicating with the water tank and depressurizing the water tank by the operation of the pressure reducing means;
A water supply path that communicates with the water supply tank and supplies water from the water supply tank to the ice tray by operation of water supply means;
Control means for controlling the pressure reducing means and the water supply means to execute automatic ice making,
The depressurization path includes a depressurizing nozzle provided to protrude from a rear surface portion of the water supply tank, and a connecting portion that is detachably coupled to the depressurizing nozzle.
The water supply path includes a water supply nozzle provided on the rear surface portion of the water supply tank so as to protrude in parallel with the pressure reducing nozzle, and a connecting portion that is detachably connected to the water supply nozzle. Refrigerator.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement unit that holds the decompression nozzle and the water supply nozzle of the water supply tank in a connected state with each connection portion. The decompression means is constituted by a decompression pump,
2. The decompression pump is disposed on the opposite side of the water supply tank with the connecting portion interposed therebetween so that an inlet on an intake side and an outlet on an exhaust side face the water tank. Or the refrigerator of 2. The water supply means has a water receiving portion for receiving water supplied from the water supply tank,
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the water receiving part is disposed in parallel with the decompression unit. The pressure reducing path has a pressure reducing valve that opens and closes the pressure reducing path;
The water supply path has a water supply valve that opens and closes the water supply path,
The said pressure reducing valve and the said water supply valve are mutually arrange | positioned in parallel with the horizontal direction on the opposite side to the said water supply tank on both sides of the said connection part, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Refrigerator.   The pressure reducing valve comprises a three-way valve, and the pressure reducing path can be opened and closed with respect to the atmosphere, and an opening end on the side opened to the atmosphere is directed to the side opposite to the water supply valve. The refrigerator according to claim 5.   The said control means performs the pressure reduction process which decompresses the inside of the said water supply tank at the time of automatic ice making, and the supply process which supplies the water in the said water supply tank to the said ice tray after the said pressure reduction process, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Item 7. The refrigerator according to Item 5 or 6. Pressure detecting means for detecting the pressure in the water supply tank,
The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the control means closes the pressure reducing valve when the pressure in the water supply tank detected by the pressure detection means is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure.   9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the control means reduces the pressure in the water supply tank again when the pressure in the water supply tank exceeds the predetermined pressure with the pressure reducing valve closed. Equipped with an alarm means for issuing an alarm,
The said control means operates the said alarm means, when the said pressure reduction process is repeatedly performed more than the predetermined warning frequency during the production | generation of ice once, The said alarm means is operated. The refrigerator described.   The control means selectively executes a transparent ice making mode for starting the generation of ice after decompressing the inside of the water supply tank and a normal ice making mode for starting the generation of ice without reducing the pressure in the water supply tank. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising selection means.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the pressure detecting means is provided at a connecting portion of the decompression path.

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