JP2880555B2 - 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. An attached ice making completion detection temperature sensor, and the temperature detected by this temperature sensor is used as the ice making completion temperature (for example, −12).
(° C.) or lower, and an ice releasing mechanism that rotates the ice making container to perform an ice releasing operation. The configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration of a conventional automatic ice making device. 1 is an ice making container, and 2 is a temperature detecting means provided on the outer bottom surface of the ice making container 1 and including a thermistor for detecting the completion of ice making. Reference numeral 3 denotes a water supply tank, which is installed in a refrigerator compartment when it is attached to a home refrigerator. 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, and a motor 6 for rotating the ice making container 1
A torsion unit 7 for applying a twist to the rotating ice-making container 1 to release ice, a position detecting means 8 including a microswitch or the like indicating completion of twisting, a microswitch or the like indicating a horizontal position of the ice-making container 1, and the like. It comprises a horizontal position detecting means 9.

Next, the control circuit will be described. Reference numeral 10 denotes a control means comprising 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 11 and 12 for moving the motor 6 and the feedwater pump motor 4 are connected to the output terminal. The control means 10 is provided with a water supply timer 13 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. ON is set so that the advance motor 6 is operated. In step 202, the motor 6 is turned off.
And proceed 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. And the torsion part 7
The ice is released from the ice maker 1 by adding a twist. 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.
In step 209, the water supply pump motor 4 is operated to supply water to the empty ice making container 1, and in step 210, a timer is started and in 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, for example, when the motor 6 is locked and the position detecting means 8 and the horizontal position detecting means 9 do not change, it is necessary to get out of the loop of Step 206 → Step 207 → Step 206. Disappears. Accordingly, ice cannot be made and the temperature of the motor 6 rises greatly, causing a failure of the motor 6. In addition, the position detecting means 8 and the horizontal position detecting means 9
Despite being ON, there is a problem that OFF is input to the control means 10 and the same occurs, and ice making cannot be performed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to stably produce ice.

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 temperature detecting means attached to the ice making container, a motor for rotating the ice making container, and a position of the rotating ice making container. An ice releasing mechanism configured to rotate the ice making container and drop ice, a timer that counts the operation of the motor, and a position detecting unit that includes a position detecting unit that indicates the horizontal position of the ice making container. A counter for counting when the operation of the motor exceeds a predetermined time, a first driving period for driving the motor to level the ice making container, a water supply period for driving a water suction pump motor, and the temperature detecting means. A cooling period until the temperature falls below a predetermined temperature, a second driving period for rotating the ice making container, and an ice making cycle that repeats in the order of the first driving period. Control means for controlling the operation of the motor when the operation time of the motor reaches a predetermined time during the second drive period. Is configured to stop the ice making cycle after counting a predetermined number of times.

Effect of the Invention According to the above configuration, when the motor keeps moving due to the motor lock, external noise, radio wave noise, or the like, the timer forcibly stops the motor after a predetermined time elapses, and the ice making cycle is started. It can be performed again from the beginning, avoiding malfunctions due to noise or radio noise, and performing the ice making operation again. Also, the number of times the motor is forcibly stopped is counted, and if the forced stop occurs continuously, it is determined that the motor is locked and the ice making cycle is stopped, thereby preventing the motor temperature from rising.

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.

Reference numeral 14 denotes control means including a microcomputer or the like, in which a water supply timer 13, a timer 15 that counts a time when the motor is running, and a counter 16 that counts up when the timer 15 counts for a predetermined time. It is configured.

In such a configuration, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. After setting the motor 6 to the ON state in step 205, the timer 15 is started in step 101. In step 102, it is checked whether or not the counting by the timer 15 has been completed. If not, the process proceeds to step 206 and step 207, where it is checked whether the position detecting means 8 and the horizontal position detecting means 9 are ON. If ON is confirmed in steps 206 and 207, the process proceeds to step 103, where the timer 15 is cleared, and the value of the counter 16 is also cleared in step 104, and the process proceeds to step 208 similar to the conventional example. Here, if the ON of the position detecting means 8 or the horizontal position detecting means 9 is not confirmed in step 206 or step 207, the process returns to step 102.
In step 102, the timer 15 is counting and it is checked whether the counting is completed. That is, while the motor 6 is ON, both the position detecting means 8 or the horizontal position detecting means 9 are ON.
If the timer 15 finishes counting before reaching, the routine proceeds to step 105. In step 105, the value of the counter 16 is incremented by one, and in step 106, the value of the counter is compared with a preset value.
Proceed to. That is, return to the beginning of the ice making cycle. If the value of the counter is greater than or equal to the set value in step 106, END is set. That is, the user exits the ice making cycle and stops.

Therefore, even if the motor 6 keeps on during the ice making cycle, the ice making operation is performed again by returning to the beginning of the ice making cycle after a predetermined time has passed by the timer 15. If the above operation occurs many times before one ice making cycle is completed, the number of times is counted by the counter 16. If the number of times reaches the set value, it can be determined that the motor 6 is locked. Then, the ice making cycle is stopped so that the ice making operation is not performed thereafter.

Effect of the Invention As described above, according to the automatic ice making device of the present invention, the time during which the motor is moving is checked against the fact that the motor keeps moving due to extraneous noise, radio noise, etc. If it has, the ice making operation can be performed again by returning to the first step of the ice making cycle. Therefore, a stable ice making operation can be provided.
If the motor is locked and the ice making is not performed normally even after returning to the first step of the ice making cycle, the number of times of returning to the first step in one cycle of the ice making cycle is counted. If the set number of times is exceeded, it is determined that the ice release mechanism such as the motor lock has failed, and the subsequent ice making operation is stopped, so that the motor failure due to the temperature rise due to the motor lock can be prevented beforehand. The spread of failure of the ice mechanism can be minimized.

[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, 14: control means, 15: timer, 16: counter.

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 temperature detecting means attached to the ice making container, a motor for rotating the ice making container, and a rotation. Counting the operation of the motor and the ice releasing mechanism, which is constituted by position detecting means for indicating the position of the ice making container and horizontal position detecting means for indicating the horizontal position of the ice making container, for rotating the ice making container and dropping ice. And a counter for counting when the operation of the motor exceeds a predetermined time, a first driving period for driving the motor to level the ice making container, and a water supply period for driving the water suction pump motor. An ice making cycle which repeats a cooling period until the temperature detecting means becomes lower than 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 cycle, wherein the control means returns to the first drive period when the operation time of the motor reaches a predetermined time during the second drive period. An automatic ice making device that stops the ice making cycle when the counter has counted a predetermined number of times.