JP2607214Y2 - Automatic ice making equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device provided in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automatic ice making apparatus of this kind, a flexible ice tray is connected to a driving section, water is stored in the ice tray, and the water is frozen by cold air in a freezing room. As a result, the motor in the driving section is started, the ice tray is rotated from the horizontal state and inverted, and the inverted position is detected by a position detecting element provided on the ice tray, and the rotation of the motor is further determined based on this detection. The ice tray is twisted, and the ice blocks in the ice tray are peeled off by this twist and discharged into the ice storage box below the ice tray.

After the ice tray is inverted and the ice blocks are discharged, the motor rotates in the reverse direction to return the ice tray from the inverted state to the horizontal position, and the horizontal position is detected by the position detecting element. , The water supply pump is driven, and a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the ice tray by driving the water supply pump, the water is cooled and frozen, and the same cycle as described above is repeated. .

[0004] An ice storage amount detection arm is provided in the drive unit, and the tip of the ice storage amount detection arm extends into the ice storage box, and the ice storage tray is linked with the operation of inverting and reversing the ice tray. The tip moves up and down. When the ice block is fully stored in the ice storage box, the lowering operation of the ice storage amount detection arm is stopped by the ice block and stopped, and this stop is detected by the position detection element provided on the ice storage amount detection arm. The rotation of the motor is stopped based on this detection.

[0005]

As described above, conventionally, position detecting elements are individually provided in the ice tray and the ice storage amount detecting arm, and the motor is controlled by the detection signals of these position detecting elements. There was a problem that the structure was complicated and the cost was high.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of such points, it is an object of a single position detecting hand
An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic ice making device that can control a motor to a predetermined state using a step .

[0007]

In order to achieve such an object, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a horizontally supported ice tray, an ice storage box disposed below the ice tray, A motor for rotating the ice tray via a reduction gear mechanism, and a tip extends into the ice storage box, and the tip moves up and down by rotating in conjunction with the motor to move the ice tray up and down in the ice storage box. An ice storage amount detection arm for detecting an ice storage amount, freezing water in the ice tray in a horizontal state, and thereafter, the ice tray is inverted to a certain angle by the motor, and a twist is applied to the ice tray. The ice mass in the ice tray is dropped into the ice storage box below it, and then the ice tray is reversed by the reverse rotation of the motor to return to the original horizontal position,
On the other hand, the tip of the ice storage amount detection arm moves up and down in the order of the upper region, the lower region, and the upper region until the ice tray is inverted and twisted, so that ice blocks are fully stored in the ice storage box. In the automatic ice making device that detects the full amount by preventing the ice block from shifting to the lower region, the tip of the ice storage amount detection arm is disposed in either the upper region or the lower region. Provide a single position detection means to detect whether the ice tray is rotated from the horizontal state, the ice storage amount detection arm moves up and down in the order of the upper area, the lower area, the upper area, and is placed in the upper area 3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising control means for controlling the motor based on a signal from the position detecting means so as to apply a twist to the ice making tray. By combining with 4. The invention according to claim 3, wherein the ice tray is inverted and then returned to a horizontal state after the ice tray is inverted by a certain angle. The ice tray is inverted or stopped after a certain period of time has elapsed since the detection of the ice tray. The timer according to claim 4, wherein the timer makes the ice tray during rotation of the ice tray. The time when the single position detecting means is off in the process of maintaining a substantially horizontal posture, and the time when the single position detecting means is on in the process of rotating the ice tray. The method is characterized in that a time difference is provided between the time when the single position detecting means is turned off in the process in which the ice tray is turned from the reverse to the reverse or from the reverse to the reverse.

[0008]

In such a configuration, a single position detecting means is provided.
The configuration can be simplified by providing a step .

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a frame. The frame 1 has a driving section 1a at one end, and a motor 2 is provided in the driving section 1a.
And a reduction gear mechanism 3 driven by the motor 2. An ice tray 4 made of a synthetic resin having flexibility is provided inside the frame 1. The ice tray 4 is connected at one end to the reduction gear mechanism 3 and at the other end. Are rotatably supported by the frame 1. The interior of the ice tray 4 is partitioned into a plurality of pockets 4a.

An ice storage box 6 is provided below the ice tray 4, and an ice storage amount detection arm 7 is attached to the driving section 1a. The ice storage amount detection arm 7 has a base end rotatably supported in a vertical direction via a pin 8, and is arranged such that a front end thereof extends into the ice storage box 6. The ice storage amount detection arm 7 is connected to the reduction gear mechanism 3 via a cam mechanism (not shown), and rotates up and down in response to activation of the motor 2.

A photo interrupter 11 is provided as position detecting means for the ice storage amount detecting arm 7.
The photo-interrupter 11 has a U-shaped body 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and a light-emitting element 13 and a light-receiving element 14 are provided on opposing wall surfaces thereof. The end portion advances and retreats between these wall surfaces in accordance with the turning operation, and the light incident from the light emitting element 13 to the light receiving element 14 is blocked or passed in accordance with the advance and retreat, whereby the position of the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is changed. Is detected.

[0013] PC board 17 in the drive section 1a is provided, the control circuit is provided on the PC board 17, the control circuit comprises a microcomputer 18 as shown in FIG. 3, the input port of the microcomputer 18 The photointerrupter 11 is connected to the motor 2, and the motor 2 is connected to an output port via a drive circuit 19.

The ice tray 4 is normally horizontally supported, and water is supplied into the ice tray 4 in this state, and the water is cooled by the surrounding cool air and gradually freezes. When the water freezes to form an ice block, the temperature is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown), and based on this detection, the motor 2 is started to start the inversion of the ice tray 4, and the ice storage amount detection arm 7 It turns and its tip moves up and down.

When the ice tray 4 is inverted to a predetermined angle, one end of the ice tray 4 comes into contact with a stopper (not shown), and the ice tray 4 is twisted by this contact, and the twist makes the ice tray 4. Each of the ice blocks in the pockets 4a of the 4 is separated and falls downward, and is stored in the ice storage box 6. Thereafter, the motor 2 rotates in the reverse direction, the tip of the ice storage amount detection arm 7 moves up and down again, and the ice tray 4 rotates in the reverse direction to return to the original horizontal state.

FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the vertical movement of the ice storage amount detection arm 7 and the rotation of the ice tray 4. The ice storage amount detection arm 7 is rotated until the ice tray 4 is inverted from the horizontal state and twisted. It descends from the upper region and moves to the lower region, and then rises from the lower region and moves to the upper region. When the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is disposed in the upper region, the light from the light emitting element 13 to the light receiving element 14 is blocked, the photo interrupter 11 is turned off, and the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is disposed in the lower region. Sometimes, the light emitting element 13 to the light receiving element 1
Light is incident on 4 and the photo interrupter 11 is turned on.

The time during which the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is located in the lower region, that is, the time (T2) during which the photointerrupter 11 is on is measured by a timer built in the microcomputer 18. When the measured time T2 has elapsed and the photointerrupter 11 has turned off again and the time T3 has elapsed, the motor 2 is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction, and the ice tray 4 is twisted during the time T3. , The ice block inside falls.

When the motor 2 rotates in the reverse direction after the elapse of the time T3, the ice storage amount detection arm 7 descends and moves to the lower region,
After being placed in this lower region for T2 time, it rises again and shifts to the upper region, and is placed in this upper region for T1 time.
During this process, the ice tray 4 is gradually reversed and returns to a horizontal state again, thereby completing one cycle of ice removal.
Thereafter, water is supplied into the ice tray 4, and after the water freezes, the ice-removing cycle starts again.

Here, the times T1 and T3 are times calculated by the microcomputer 18 in proportion from the time T2 with respect to the time T2.
1 is set to (3/11) times T2, and T3 is set to (6/11) times T2. To give actual values, for example, T1 is 3 seconds, T2 is 1
1 second, T3 is 6 seconds, so the ice tray 4 is inverted from the horizontal state, twisted and the ice block falls,
One cycle of ice release in which the ice tray 4 is reversed and returns to the horizontal state again is 40 seconds.

Ice blocks are sequentially stored in the ice storage box 6 by repeating such an ice separation cycle. Then, when the ice tray 4 is twisted and the ice mass inside the ice tray falls into the ice storage box 6 and the ice storage amount becomes full, the lowering of the ice storage amount detection arm 7 thereafter is caused by the full ice mass. Therefore, the photointerrupter 11 continues to be in the off state even after the elapse of the time T3, whereby the full amount of ice blocks is detected, and the motor 2 is stopped by this detection. Is controlled.

Thereafter, when the ice blocks in the ice storage box 6 are taken out, the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is lowered by its own weight, the photo interrupter 11 is turned on, and based on this signal, the ice tray 4 is reversed in the opposite direction to the reverse rotation. In response to this reversal operation, the ice storage amount detection arm 7 rises, and with this rise, the photo interrupter 11 turns off. Then, the ice tray 4 is reversed based on the signal of the photo-interrupter 11 being turned off, and the ice storage amount detection arm 7 descends and moves to the lower region with the reverse rotation, and the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is disposed in the lower region. If the T2 time is measured, the T2 time elapses and T
After one hour, the motor 2 is controlled to stop, whereby the ice tray 4 returns to the horizontal state and returns to the standby state for the ice making cycle.

As described above, the photo interrupter 11
And the position of the ice storage amount detection arm 7 is detected.
The amount of ice stored in the ice storage box 6 is determined by
Based on the detection of the position of the ice storage amount detection arm 7, the ice making
The operation of the ice tray 4 that is repeated during the cycle is controlled.
Therefore , it is only necessary to provide the photo interrupter 11 for the ice storage amount detection arm 7, and a photo interrupter for detecting the rotation angle of the ice tray 4 is not required, so that the configuration is simple and inexpensive.

By the way, when the power is turned on, the position of the ice tray 4 is not fixed. When the power is turned on, the attitude of the ice tray 4 is determined and the motor 2 is controlled as follows. I do.

That is, if the photo interrupter 11 is on when the power is turned on, the ice tray 4 is inverted until it is turned off. Thereafter, the ice tray 4 is reversed, the time T2 is measured, T1 is calculated from T2, and the rotation of the ice tray 4 is stopped after the time T1 has elapsed by two. Thus, the ice tray 4 is held in a horizontal state.

If the photo-interrupter 11 is on when the power is turned on, the ice tray 4 is turned over for T1 + α time. If the photo interrupter 11 is turned on during this time, it can be understood that the state of the ice tray 4 at the time of turning on the power is in the area of "T1". Then, T2 is measured, T1 is calculated from T2, and the rotation of the motor 2 is stopped after the lapse of T1. Thus, the ice tray 4 is held in a horizontal state.

If the photointerrupter 11 is off when the power is turned on and the photointerrupter 11 remains off at the time when the ice making tray 4 is inverted for T1 + α hours, the state of the ice making tray 4 is in the region of "T3". Then, T2 is measured by reversing the ice tray 4, T1 is calculated from T2, and the rotation of the motor 2 is stopped after the lapse of T1. Thus, the ice tray 4 is held in a horizontal state.

It should be noted, Oite the embodiment has been exemplified a photo interrupter as a position detecting element for detecting the position of the ice storage amount detecting arm, or when the Hall element using a micro switch, magnetic, such as reed switches For example, a method using means may be used.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is sufficient to provide a single position detecting means, and therefore, there is an advantage that the structure is simple and inexpensive.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an automatic ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mechanism for detecting the position of an ice storage amount detection arm in the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric circuit of the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a relationship between vertical movement of an ice storage amount detection arm and rotation of an ice tray in the automatic ice making device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 ... motor 3 ... reduction gear mechanism 4 ... ice tray 6 ... ice storage box 7 ... ice storage amount detection arm 11 ... photo interrupter (position detection means)

Claims (4)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An ice tray supported horizontally, an ice storage box disposed below the ice tray, a motor for rotating the ice tray via a reduction gear mechanism, and a tip portion inside the ice storage box. And an ice storage amount detection arm for detecting the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box by moving the tip thereof up and down by rotating in conjunction with the motor, and detecting water in the ice tray in a horizontal state. After freezing, the motor is used to invert the ice tray to a certain angle to twist the ice tray, and the ice blocks in the ice tray are dropped into an ice storage box below the torsion by the twist, and then the ice tray is The tip of the ice storage amount detection arm is moved up and down in the order of the upper area, the lower area, and the upper area until the ice tray is inverted and twisted. Move and ice in ice storage box When the lump is stored in full,
In an automatic ice making device that detects the full amount by preventing the ice block from shifting to the lower region, it detects whether the tip of the ice storage amount detection arm is located in the upper region or the lower region. A single position detecting means is provided, the ice tray is rotated from a horizontal state, and the ice storage amount detection arm is moved up and down in the order of an upper region, a lower region, and an upper region to twist the ice tray when the ice tray is disposed in the upper region. An automatic ice making device, further comprising control means for controlling the motor based on a signal from the position detection means so as to add the following. 2. The ice tray according to claim 1, wherein the ice tray is inverted by a predetermined angle and then returned to a horizontal state by a combination of the single position detecting means and a timer. Automatic ice making equipment. 3. The ice tray is inverted or stopped after a predetermined time has passed since the single position detecting means has detected the position of the ice storage amount detecting arm. Or the automatic ice making device according to 2. 4. The timer according to claim 1, wherein a time when a single position detecting means is off in a step of keeping the ice tray in a substantially horizontal position during the rotation of the ice tray, The time when the single position detecting means is on in the process of performing the process, and the time when the single position detecting device is off in the process of reversing the ice tray from reversing or from reversing. 4. The automatic ice making device according to claim 3, wherein a time difference is provided between the automatic ice making devices.