JP2944339B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a control device for controlling energization of a heater provided in a water supply device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Prior to the present invention, (i) Jikken Sho 51-40
No. 121 discloses that water in a water tank installed in a refrigerator compartment is supplied to an automatic ice maker installed in a freezer compartment through a water supply pipe by a pump, and the water supply pipe is disposed substantially at the center of the heat insulating material of the refrigerator body. And an opening for an ice tray of the ice making machine, an antifreeze heater is wound around the water supply pipe, and the amount of heating by the heater in the opening is sufficiently large as compared with other parts. An antifreezing device for a refrigerator with an ice making device is disclosed.

On the other hand, prior to the present invention, (ii) JP-A-4-93
Japanese Patent Publication No. 570 discloses a refrigerator with an automatic ice making device in which a heater provided on a water supply port side of a water supply device is energized for a certain period of time after a deicing operation.

[0004]

In the technique (i), the amount of heating of the anti-freezing heater wound around the water supply port of the water supply pipe facing the ice making room is wound around another part. Since the heater capacity is set to be sufficiently larger than the heating amount of the heater, it is inevitable that the heat of the heater is dissipated from the heater near the water supply port into the ice making chamber during energization of the heater. Further, since the heater is continuously energized irrespective of the operation state of the automatic ice making device, even if the cooling device for cooling the ice making chamber is operated continuously, the heat generated by this heater acts as a cooling load on the cooling device. In addition to the increase in the cooling load of the cooling device, there is a problem that the time required for freezing the water in the ice tray facing the water supply port (ie, the ice making time) is prolonged. In addition, since the heater is continuously energized and its required power cannot be ignored, there is a problem that the power consumption of the automatic ice making device is large.

On the other hand, since the vicinity of the water supply port is always exposed to the ice making chamber and is exposed to the cold air of the freezing room, the technique of the above (ii) has a disadvantage in that the remaining water after the water supply is liable to freeze. Since the heater is energized only for a certain period of time after the ice, the ice cannot be completely melted before the water supply operation of the water supply device, and the ice grows in the water supply port and the mouth is blocked or the specified amount of water is made. There were problems such as the inability to supply water to the plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerator provided with a control device capable of suppressing the residual ice at the water supply port while reducing the power consumption of the heater.

[0007]

The present invention achieves the above object.
As a means for achieving this, the invention of claim 1
A heater is provided in the water supply device for the plate, and the heater is
Make ice by supplying water to the ice tray and cooling it.
A refrigerator that performs the deicing operation by inverting the ice tray after the ice making
Determining whether there is no water in the ice tray
Providing a control device that performs based on the temperature difference before and after the operation,
When the control device determines that the ice tray has water,
When the heater is energized and it is determined that there is no water in the ice tray
To provide a refrigerator that stops supplying power to the heater.
You.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for achieving the above object.
As a means, the invention according to claim 2 is provided in an ice making room.
A heater is provided in the water supply device for the ice tray, and the water supply device is used for the heater.
Perform ice making by supplying water to the ice tray and cooling it,
Refrigeration in which the ice tray is inverted after the ice making to perform a deicing operation
In the refrigerator, during freezing operation, it depends on the presence or absence of water in the ice tray.
The circulation of cold air to the ice making chamber is continuously performed without
The determination of whether or not there is no water in the ice tray is based on the temperature difference before and after the water supply operation.
A control unit that performs, based on the provided, the control device, wherein
Judging that there is water in the ice tray,
During operation, the heater is continuously energized and water is supplied to the ice tray.
When it is determined that there is no power supply,
Provide a refrigerator with electricity.

[0009]

Since the heater is not energized when there is no water in the ice tray, the power consumption of the heater can be reduced as compared with the case where the heater is continuously energized. In addition, when there is water in the ice tray, that is, during the ice making operation, the heater is energized.Therefore, during ice making, the portion of the water supply pipe facing the ice making room is heated, and ice frost around the water supply port is formed before the water supply operation. Can be reliably removed.

On the other hand, if the heater is intermittently energized when there is no water in the ice tray, the cooling air is continuously circulated in the ice making chamber during the freezing operation regardless of the presence or absence of water in the ice tray. Further, even when ice making is not performed while reducing the power consumption of the heater, frost formation near the water supply port can be suppressed.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 shows the refrigerator main body 1 with the refrigerator door removed, and the main body 1 includes a freezing room 2, an ice warm room 3, an ice making room 4, a refrigerator room 5, a vegetable room 6, and a bottle storage room 7. Is formed, and an automatic ice making device 10 is provided in the ice making room 4.

As shown schematically in FIG. 4, the automatic ice making apparatus 10 has a temperature sensor 11 attached to the bottom thereof and
The ice tray 14 rotatably disposed on the shaft 13 attached to the shaft 2 and the shaft 13 when the time when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 11 is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature TOFF reaches a predetermined time. A motor 15 as a de-icing device for rotating and inverting the ice tray 14 and taking out ice by twisting.
An ice storage container 16 disposed below the ice tray 14 and having an opening on the upper surface; a water supply device 18 for supplying water from the water tank 17 after dehydration to the ice tray 14; and a control device 30 for controlling the operations of these components. And The motor 15
Has a function of detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage container 16 by operating the ice detecting lever 19 before performing the deicing operation (that is, an ice detecting operation), and thus has a function as an ice detecting device.

The water storage tank 17 is arranged in the refrigerator compartment 5 in which the water is kept at a temperature at which water does not freeze.
Is a water supply tank 21 provided with a water supply port and a water tap at a lower part.
A case 22 provided in the refrigerating room 5 for detachably storing and holding a water supply tank 21; a case 1 detachably mounted at a lower portion of the case 22 and connected to the water supply tank 21 to store water and supply water by the water supply device 18; And a measuring container 23 for measuring the amount of water in the batch. The case 22 has a tank detection switch 2 as a detection means for detecting the attachment / detachment of the water supply tank 21.
4 and a waterless lamp 25 serving as water supply notification means that operates when the determination means 30 described later determines that there is no water in the ice tray 14.

The water supply device 18 includes a water supply pump 26 partially facing the inside of the measuring container 23, a water supply pipe 27 extending from the pump 26 to above the ice tray 14 in the ice making room, and an ice making device including a water supply port of the pipe. Heater 28 provided on the chamber side
Consists of

FIG. 3 shows a control configuration of the automatic ice making device 10. The control device 30 is mainly composed of a microcomputer, and the detected temperature signal from the temperature sensor 11 and the water supply tank 21 are arranged in a predetermined manner in a case 22. When set to the position, a detection signal is input from a tank detection switch 24 that is turned on to output a tank detection signal. The control device 30 controls the water supply device 1 via the drive circuit 31 according to a program stored in advance.
8. The operation of the heater 28 and the motor 15 is controlled.

In accordance with a program stored in advance, the control device 30 continuously energizes the heater 28 when there is water in the ice tray (ie, during a series of operations from ice making to ice detecting to deicing to supplying water). When it is determined that there is no water in the ice tray 14, it also has a function as a heating control means for stopping the power supply to the heater 28 or controlling the power supply to the heater so as to intermittently supply power.

Further, the control device 30 samples the detected temperature signal tB of the temperature sensor 11 before the water supply of the water supply device 18 according to a program stored in advance, and after the water supply operation to the ice tray 14 of the water supply device 18 is completed. The detected temperature signal tA of the temperature sensor 11 is sampled at regular intervals, and the difference Δt between the detected temperature signals tB and tA (that is, tA−t)
B) is calculated, and when the deviation Δt when a predetermined time (eg, 15 minutes) has elapsed after the end of the water supply operation is less than or equal to a preset standard deviation value ts (eg, 6 ° C.) for two consecutive times, ice making is performed. It is determined that there is no water in the plate 14 and the waterless lamp 25 is turned on as a notification means. That is, the control device 30 controls the ice making tray 1 despite performing the water supply operation.
4 also has a function as a judging means for judging that water is not supplied (that is, a state of no water in the ice tray).

The operation of the controller 30 for determining whether or not water is stored in the ice tray 14 (that is, whether or not there is water) will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

When the power is turned on, a certain time (for example, 30
Seconds), first, in step S1, an initial operation of returning the ice tray 14 to the horizontal position is performed, a flag F1 indicating that the first water absence is determined is reset in step S2, and the ice making is completed in step S3. The judgment time T3 for judgment is set to an initial value (for example, 40 minutes).

Next, at step S4, a timing start temperature A (for example, -11) for starting a timing operation for the determination time T3.
° C) or more, and this is repeated until the temperature becomes lower than A. When the temperature falls below the temperature A, a timing operation of the judgment time T3 is performed in step S5, and it is judged in step S6 whether the judgment time T3 has elapsed. If the determination time T3 has not elapsed, the process returns to step S4. If the determination time T3 has elapsed, whether or not the temperature is equal to or higher than the ice detection start temperature (in this embodiment, the same as the temperature A) for starting the ice detection operation in step S7. This is repeated until the temperature becomes lower than A.

When the temperature becomes lower than A in step S7, an ice detecting operation is performed in which the motor 15 is moved and the ice detecting lever 19 is sequentially lowered from a predetermined position in step S8.
Then, the motor 15 is moved again to perform a de-icing operation for inverting and twisting the ice tray 14, and then the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, it is determined whether or not the temperature is equal to or higher than a water supply start temperature (in this embodiment, the same as the temperature A) for starting the water supply operation, and this is repeated until the temperature becomes lower than the temperature A. When the temperature becomes lower than the temperature A in step S10, the detected temperature signal t of the ice tray 14 before the water supply operation is performed in step S11.
B is sampled, and in step S12, the water supply device 18 is activated to perform a water supply operation of supplying the water in the measuring container 23 into the ice tray 14.

When the water supply operation is completed, step S13 is performed.
Then, the stabilization time T1 until the temperature of the ice tray 14 is stabilized is set to an initial value (for example, 15 minutes), and the detected temperature signal tA of the ice tray 14 after the water supply operation is completed is sampled in step S14.

In step S15, both detected temperature signals tA,
It is determined whether the deviation (.DELTA.t = tA-tB) from tB is equal to or greater than the standard deviation value ts. If tA-tB <ts, the process proceeds to step S21, and if tA-tB≥tS, the process proceeds to step S16.
The waiting time T2 during which no decision is made during ice making is set to an initial value (for example, 60 minutes). In step S17, the operation of counting the waiting time is performed. In step S18, it is determined whether the waiting time T2 has elapsed. If the waiting time T2 has not elapsed, the process returns to step S17, and if it has elapsed, the process returns to step S4.

In step S21, a time counting operation for the stabilization time T1 is performed. In step S22, it is determined whether T1 has elapsed. If T1 has not elapsed, the process returns to step S14.
If T1 has elapsed, it is determined in step S23 whether or not the flag F1 is present. If the flag F1 is present in step S23, it means that the water-free state of the ice tray 14 has been continued twice, so it is determined that there is no water, and the process proceeds to step S24. It is determined that there is no flag, the flag F1 is set in step S20, and the process returns to step S4.

In step S24, a flag F1 indicating once that no water is stored in the ice tray 14 is determined.
Is reset, and in the next step S25, the waterless lamp 25
Lights up. By turning on the lamp 25, it can be notified that the water storage tank 17 has run out of water, and by seeing this, the user knows that the water supply tank 21 needs to be refilled with water. When the user is informed that the water supply is necessary, the user takes out the water supply tank 21 from the case 22 and supplies the water.
Should be set.

When the tank 21 is moved in and out, the tank detection switch 24 is once turned off and turned on again. Switch 2
The change from the ON of 4 to the next ON causes step S26.
In step S, it is determined that the tank 21 has been taken in and out.
At 27, the waterless lamp 25 is turned off, and at step S28, after the water supply tank 21 is set, the measuring time T4 required for the amount of supplied water from the tank 21 to a predetermined position of the measuring container 23 to be stored at a predetermined position is an initial value (for example, 20 minutes). Is set to In step S29, the measuring time T4 is measured. In step S30, it is determined whether or not the measuring time T4 has elapsed.
If T has not elapsed, the process returns to step S29, and if T4 has elapsed, the process returns to step S11.

Incidentally, the temperature of the ice making room approaches the water temperature due to the influence of the defrosting operation or the opening time of the door, or even if there is water in the water supply tank but the predetermined amount of water has not accumulated in the measuring container. It is rare that the water supply device does not operate properly and the predetermined amount of water cannot be supplied twice, and the temperature difference between the ice trays before and after the water supply continues twice as in the present invention. If "waterless" is determined in the following cases, "waterless" determination can be made excluding these causes. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to determine “no water” after narrowing down the cause of the absence of water as compared with the conventional method, and the accuracy of the determination of no water is improved as compared with the conventional method.

Next, an operation flow for operating the heater 28 attached near the water supply port of the water supply device 18 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the power is turned on, first, in step M1, it is determined whether or not the waterless lamp 25 is lit. If not, it is determined in step M2 that the waterless lamp 25 is not lit (that is, if the ice tray is determined to have "water"). The heater 28 is energized, the differential time T5 of the heater 28 is set to an initial value (for example, 60 minutes) in step M3, and the process returns to step M1.

If the waterless lamp 25 is turned on in step M1 (that is, if it is determined that there is no water in the ice tray), a time measuring operation of the differential time T5 is performed in step M4, and the differential time T5 is calculated in step M5. Is determined, the process returns to step M1 if T5 has not elapsed, and if it has elapsed, it is determined in step M6 whether or not the heater 28 is energized. At step M7, the power supply to the heater is stopped. At step M8, the differential time T5 is set to an initial value (60 minutes), and the process returns to step M1. If power is not being supplied, power is supplied to the heater 28 and the process goes to step M8.

As described above, during the absence of water in the ice tray, energization control is performed at an energization rate of 50% in which energization or non-energization of the heater is controlled in a 60-minute cycle. The duty ratio and the cycle time are not limited to those in the above embodiment. The duty ratio may be 0% (that is, the current is stopped when there is no water), or the duty ratio may be reduced if the temperature of the ice making room is low. It is also possible to change the duty ratio according to the temperature of the ice making chamber, such as raising the temperature and decreasing the duty ratio if the temperature is high.

When it is determined that there is no water in the ice tray, the heater 28 is not energized (in the embodiment, an example of intermittent energization is shown). In addition to reducing the power consumption of the conventional method, the frost formation near the water supply port during the ice making operation can be suppressed and removed as before.

[0033]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the heater is not energized when there is no water in the ice tray, the power consumption of the heater can be reduced as compared with the case of the continuous energization. Moreover, when water is present in the ice tray, that is, the heater is energized during the ice making operation, the portion of the water supply pipe facing the ice making chamber is heated during ice making as before, and the ice around the water supply port is supplied by the water supply operation. Frost can be reliably removed.

On the other hand, if the heater is intermittently energized when there is no water in the ice making tray as in claim 2 of the present invention, during the freezing operation, regardless of the presence or absence of water in the ice making tray, the ice making room is kept in the ice making room. In the apparatus for continuously circulating cool air, it is possible to suppress frost formation near the water supply port even when ice making is not performed while reducing the power consumption of the heater.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a water supply control operation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a heating control operation of the present invention.

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

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the refrigerator with a door and a drawer removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 refrigerator 4 ice making room 10 automatic ice making device 11 temperature sensor 14 ice making tray 17 water storage tank 18 water supply device 25 waterless lamp 28 heating heater 30 control device

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A heater is provided in a device for supplying water to an ice tray.
Supplying water to the ice tray with the water supply device and cooling the ice tray.
Ice making, and after making the ice, invert the ice making tray to remove
In a refrigerator performing an ice operation, whether or not there is no water in the ice tray
Is determined based on the temperature difference before and after the water supply operation.
A control device, and the control device determines that the ice tray has water.
When judged, the heater is energized and the ice tray is
When it is determined that there is no water, stop supplying power to the heater
Refrigerator. 2. An apparatus for supplying water to an ice tray provided in an ice making room.
Provide a heat heater and supply water to the ice tray with the water supply device.
Perform ice making by cooling, and after the ice making, the ice making tray
Operation in a refrigerator that reverses
The inside is cooled to the ice making room regardless of the presence of water in the ice making tray.
Air circulation is continuously performed, and whether or not the ice tray has no water
A control device that makes a determination based on the temperature difference before and after the water supply operation
The control device determines that there is water in the ice tray.
During the series of ice making and deicing operations, the heating
When the ice tray is depleted of water.
Is characterized in that the power supply to the heater is intermittent power supply.
And refrigerator.