JP2880554B2 - Automatic ice making equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device that automatically rotates an ice making container to perform a de-icing operation after ice making is completed.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for example, as an automatic ice making device attached to a home refrigerator, a water supply pump motor for supplying water into an ice making container, such as Toshiba's GR-R40CV, and an outer bottom surface of the ice making container. A temperature sensor for detecting the completion of ice making and a temperature detected by the temperature sensor are used to detect an ice making completion temperature (for example,-
(12 ° C.) or less when the ice making container is rotated. The configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration of a conventional automatic ice making device. Reference numeral 1 denotes an ice-making container, which is installed in a freezing room or an independent room having a freezing temperature (-18 ° C) when attached to a household refrigerator. Reference numeral 2 denotes a temperature detecting means provided on the outer bottom surface of the ice making container 1 and comprising a thermistor for detecting the completion of ice making. Reference numeral 3 denotes a water supply tank, which is attached to a home refrigerator.
Install in the refrigerator compartment. Reference numeral 4 denotes a water supply pump motor for supplying water from the water supply tank 3 to the ice making container 1. Reference numeral 5 denotes an ice releasing mechanism for rotating the ice making container 1 to perform an ice releasing operation. A motor 6 for rotating the ice making container 1 and a twisting part 7 for applying a twist to the rotating ice making container 1 to separate ice.
And a position detecting means 8 such as a micro switch for indicating the completion of twisting, and a horizontal position detecting means 9 such as a micro switch for indicating the horizontal position of the ice making container 1. An ice storage box 10 for storing dropped ice is provided below the ice making container 1.

Next, the control circuit will be described. Reference numeral 11 denotes a control means composed of a microcomputer or the like, and its input terminals are connected to the temperature detection means 2, the position detection means 8 and the horizontal position detection means 9. Drive means 12 and 13 for moving the motor 6 and the feedwater pump motor 4 are connected to the output terminal. The control means 11 is provided with a water supply timer 14 for counting the time during which the water supply pump motor 4 is operating.

In such a configuration, the operation will be described with reference to FIG.

First, in step 201, if the state of the horizontal position detecting means 9 is ON, the ice making container 1 can be determined to be horizontal, and the process proceeds to step 202. If it is determined in step 201 that the ice making container 1 is not horizontal, the process proceeds to step 203. Set ON so that the advance motor 6 operates. In step 202, the motor 6 is turned off, and the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, it is determined whether the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is higher or lower than a set value. If it is determined in step 204 that the temperature is low, it can be determined that ice making has been completed, and the process proceeds to step 205 where the motor 6 is turned on. Therefore, the ice making container 1 is rotated. Then, the ice is released from the ice making container 1 by applying a twist in the twisting section 7. Therefore, the state of the position detecting means 8 is turned on in step 206, and it can be determined that the ice removal has been completed. In step 207, the motor 6 is continuously moved until the ice making container 1 becomes horizontal. Wait until 9 turns ON. Steps
In step 206 and step 207, the process returns to step 206 until both the position detecting means 8 and the horizontal position detecting means 9 are turned on. Step 2
When the horizontal position detecting means 9 is turned on at 07, the ice making container 1 is determined to be horizontal, and the motor 6 is stopped at step 208.
At step 209, the water supply pump motor 4 is operated to supply water to the empty ice making container 1, and at step 210, a timer is started and at step 211, the water supply pump motor 4 is operated until the time is up. When the timer times out in step 211, the water supply pump motor 4 is turned off in step 212. Water supply is completed as described above, one cycle of the ice making cycle is completed, and the process proceeds to step 204 again.
Thereafter, this cycle is repeated to automatically make ice.

However, in such a configuration, step 21
For example, if a short power failure (within about 5 minutes) occurs immediately after the water supply in step 1 or the water supply in step 212, the control means
Since step 11 is restarted from step 201, the following inconvenience occurs. That is, immediately after the water supply or immediately after the water supply, if a short power failure occurs in a state where the temperature of the outer bottom surface of the ice making container 1 has not yet sufficiently risen, the process starts from step 201 and immediately proceeds to step 202. In step 204, it is determined that the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is lower than the set value, and
At 205, the motor 6 is turned on. Therefore, the ice making container 1 performs an ice releasing operation including rotation. Therefore, the water in the ice making container 1 may have spilled into the ice storage box below. There has been a problem that ice in the ice storage box is flooded with water and the ice becomes a large lump and becomes difficult to use.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and provides an automatic ice making device that can be controlled without inconvenience such as water spilling down due to a short power outage.

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, an automatic ice making device of the present invention
A water supply tank, an ice making container, a water supply pump motor for supplying water from the water supply tank to the ice making container, a water supply timer for operating the water supply pump motor for a fixed time, a temperature detecting means attached to the ice making container, and the ice making container A de-icing device for rotating the ice-making container and dropping ice, comprising: a motor for rotating the ice-making container; and position detecting means for indicating the position of the rotating ice-making container, and horizontal position detecting means for indicating the horizontal position of the ice-making container. A mechanism, a timer for starting counting when the temperature detecting means detects a predetermined temperature, a first driving period for driving the motor to level the ice making container, a water supply period for driving the water suction pump motor, The ice making is repeated in the order of a cooling period until the temperature detecting means falls below a predetermined temperature, a second driving period for rotating the ice making container, and a first driving period. More will control means for controlling the progress of cycles, wherein, in the cooling period,
When the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means reaches a predetermined temperature, the timer starts counting and waits for a predetermined time.If the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is lower than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that ice making is completed. The second driving period is configured to proceed.

Effect of the Invention According to the above-described configuration, when a short power failure occurs in water supply or immediately after water supply, even if the control means starts from the first step, the determination of ice making completion is made by first setting the temperature of the temperature detection means. If the temperature of the temperature detecting means is detected again after a certain time (for example, 30 minutes) even if the temperature is lower than the temperature, the temperature of the temperature detecting means is affected by the water in the ice making container (15 ° C.).
(30 ° C to 30 ° C), which is sufficiently high and judged to be higher than another set temperature, so it can be judged at this stage that ice making is not completed, and wait until the temperature of the temperature detection means becomes lower than another set temperature Is done. Therefore, the ice-removing operation is not performed, and even if a short power failure occurs immediately after the water supply or after the water supply, it is possible to prevent the water from falling into the ice storage box in a water state.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same components as those in the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different portions will be described.

Numeral 15 denotes control means composed of a microcomputer or the like, and internally includes a water supply timer 14 and a timer 16 for counting time when the temperature detecting means 2 becomes lower than a set temperature.

In such a configuration, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. First, the process is started from step 201 by turning on the power, and after the motor 6 is turned off in step 202, the process proceeds to step 101. In step 101, the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is detected and compared with the set temperature T0. Here, if the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is high, the process waits in step 101 until the temperature becomes low. In step 101, the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is set to the set temperature T0.
If it is determined to be lower, the process proceeds to step 102 and the timer 16
Start. In step 103, it is confirmed whether the time of the timer 16 is a predetermined time or not. If the time is not up, the process waits until the time in step 103 is up. When the timer 16 times out in step 103, the process proceeds to step 104. In step 104, the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is confirmed again and compared with another set temperature T1. If the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is high in step 104, the process waits in step 104 until the temperature decreases, and if the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is low, step 205
Proceed to. Note that the set temperatures T0 and T1 have a relationship of T0> T1.
Since the contents of steps 205 to 212 are the same as in the conventional example, the description will be omitted. After step 212, the process returns to step 101, and thereafter, the ice making cycle is repeated to generate ice.

Therefore, even if there is a short power outage immediately after the water supply in step 211 or step 212 or immediately after the end of the water supply and the process starts from the first step and proceeds to step 101 for judging the completion of ice making, the temperature detecting means 2 is still cold in step 101 Even if it is determined that the temperature is lower than the temperature T0, and the process proceeds to step 102, there is a certain waiting time in step 103.
In the comparison with the set temperature T1, it is determined that the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is high. Therefore, in step 104, the water in the ice making container 1 is sufficiently cooled to change from water to ice in order to wait for the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 to be lower than the set temperature T1. Ice is stored in the ice storage box 10.

Effect of the Invention As described above, the ice making container of the present invention is supplied with water from a water supply tank by a water supply pump motor by a water supply pump motor to cool the water, and then the ice made by the ice releasing mechanism is dropped. After detecting the temperature, after a certain time elapses, the temperature detection means will not proceed to the next de-icing operation unless it is lower than another set temperature, so there is a short power outage immediately after water supply or water supply, and the temperature detection means is cold Even if it returns to the first step of the control means in the state, the ice is not immediately separated and after a certain period of time the temperature detecting means becomes sufficiently high. Do not go. Therefore, it is possible to provide a stable ice making operation without inconvenience that the ice making container goes to the ice removing operation by mistake and water is spilled.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flow chart of an automatic ice making device showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control circuit diagram of the automatic ice making device, FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the automatic ice making device, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ice releasing mechanism of the automatic ice making device, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an automatic ice making device showing a conventional example, and FIG. 6 is control of the automatic ice making device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the automatic ice making device, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an ice releasing mechanism of the automatic ice making device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Ice making container, 2 ... Temperature detection means, 3 ... Water supply tank, 4 ... Water supply pump motor, 5 ... Ice separation mechanism, 6 ...
Motor, 8 position detecting means, 9 horizontal position detecting means, 15 control means, 16 timer.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-85663 (JP, A) JP-A-1-234769 (JP, A) Fully open 50-67465 (JP, U) Really open 1974 108151 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F25C 1/10

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A water supply tank, an ice making container, a water supply pump motor for supplying water from the water supply tank to the ice making container, a water supply timer for operating the water supply pump motor for a predetermined time, and a temperature detecting means attached to the ice making container. Rotating the ice making container, comprising: a motor for rotating the ice making container; a position detecting means for indicating a position of the rotating ice making container; and a horizontal position detecting means for indicating a horizontal position of the ice making container. An ice releasing mechanism for dropping the water; a timer for starting counting when the temperature detecting means detects a predetermined temperature; and a first driving period for driving the motor to level the ice making container. A water supply period, a cooling period until the temperature detecting means becomes lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature, a second driving period for rotating the ice making container, and a first driving period. Control means for controlling the progress of the returning ice making cycle. When the detected temperature of the temperature detecting means reaches a predetermined temperature during the cooling period, the control means starts counting by the timer and waits for a predetermined time. After that, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means is lower than a predetermined temperature, it is determined that the ice making is completed, and the automatic ice making apparatus proceeds to the second driving period.