JP4186654B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an automatic ice making device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, some refrigerators include an automatic ice making device (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0003]
Hereinafter, the conventional refrigerator with an automatic ice making device will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0004]
FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional ice making machine. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice making machine of FIG.
[0005]
A tray support device 2 constituting the ice making machine 1 is provided on the ceiling of an ice making chamber (not shown), and an ice tray 3 is rotatably disposed on the rear surface. In addition, an ice detection lever 4 is provided at the lower part of the side surface of the dish support device 2 so as to be rotatable.
[0006]
In addition, the tray support device 2 and the ice tray 3 are mounted on an ice-making cover 5 that is arranged close to or in contact with the ceiling surface of the ice-making chamber. A plurality of openings 6, 7, and 8 are provided on the end surface of the ice tray 3, and cold air is fed into the ice making cover 5 through these openings.
[0007]
Further, a horizontally long cold air guide port 10 is opened in a side wall 9 in which one section of the ice tray 3 has a substantially arc shape. A substantially L-shaped duct cover 11 is provided so as to cover the cold air guide port 10. A cold air guide port 10 is provided along the outer side of the rotation trajectory of the outer edge of the ice tray 3.
[0008]
That is, the cold air guide port 10 through which the cold air is blown obliquely above the ice tray 3 is opened. A part of the cold air from the cold air outlet passes through the cold air guide path 12 inside the duct cover 11 and is further fed into the ice tray 3 through the cold air guide port 10. Thereby, the ice tray 3 can be cooled efficiently, and the ice making time can be shortened.
[0009]
Further, since the cold air guide port 10 for feeding the cold air guided by the duct cover 11 is provided slightly outside the rotation trajectory of the ice tray 3, the distance from the cold air guide port 10 to the ice tray 3 can be minimized. And the ice tray 3 can be cooled uniformly. As a result, there is no loss of cold air blowing, and the ice making time can be shortened.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-173736
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the tray support device 2 is in front of the ice tray 3 when the door is opened in the conventional configuration, the tray support device 2 must first be removed in order for the user to remove the ice tray 3. However, there is a problem that the lead wire 2a for supplying power to the pan support device 2 and the connector 2b at the tip are also removed.
[0012]
The present invention solves the conventional problems, and an ice making drive unit is arranged at the rear of an ice tray, and a refrigerator having a cooling air passage structure that can be attached to and detached from the ice tray and efficiently cools water in the ice tray. The purpose is to provide.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making chamber cooling air passage for sending cold air to the ice making chamber in order from the rear of the ice making chamber, where the cool air from the freezer cooler is guided by the fan, and ice making separately from the fan. ice making compartment fan for circulating forced cooling air through the ice-making chamber provided in the indoor, the meet refrigerator ice tray disposed in the order of the driving source and the ice tray is rotatably driven, the driving source and the ice tray is is attached to the ice making unit forming part of the cool air passage, the cold air discharged from the manufactured ice chamber fan by cool air passage constitutes a passage for bypassing the driving source, and discharging the cool air into the ice tray, cold air suction A cold air circulation air passage returning from the section to the ice making chamber air passage is formed , and the discharged cold air can be efficiently guided to the ice tray.
[0014]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cold air outlet provided for guiding the cold air discharged from the ice chamber fan to the ice making chamber to the ice tray, and the upper surface of the ice tray being discharged The cold air guide port is formed integrally with the ice making unit, the cold air port is formed between the drive source and the ice making chamber discharge port, and the cold air guide port is formed on the upper surface of the side of the ice tray. Yes, the ineffective volume can be minimized by using the space of the ice making chamber for the air path.
[0015]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cold air discharged from the ice-making chamber fan is guided to the ice-making tray around both sides of the drive source, and Ice making efficiency can be improved.
[0016]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cold air passage that guides the cold air to the ice tray is formed by an ice making unit and a heat insulating partition wall that forms an upper surface and a side surface of the ice making chamber. The cost can be reduced without adding a new separate part for the duct.
[0017]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the third aspect, the ice making chamber is partitioned by a vertical heat insulating partition wall along with other storage chambers, and the vertical heat insulating partition wall is a part of the cold air passage. The cold air passage structure can be easily formed.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 6 of the present invention is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which two ice trays are arranged side by side, and the amount of ice making can be doubled.
[0019]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, the upper surface space of the ice tray is defined integrally with an ice making cover formed on the ice making unit and arranged on the upper part of the two ice trays. A partition wall is formed, and the ice-making efficiency can be improved by uniformizing the flow of cold air on the upper surfaces of the two ice-making trays.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
(Embodiment 1)
1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice making unit of the same embodiment. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the air passage in the ice making unit according to the embodiment, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the ice making chamber according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the ice making chamber according to the embodiment.
[0022]
In FIG. 1, a refrigerator 20 includes a refrigerator room 21, an ice making room 22, a switching room 23 that can be switched from a refrigeration temperature zone to a freezing temperature zone beside the ice making room 22, a vegetable room 24 below it, and a freezer at the bottom. The chamber 25 is arranged and configured. Further, the ice making chamber 22 and the switching chamber 23 are divided into left and right by a vertical heat insulating partition wall 26.
[0023]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1. A freezer compartment cooler 25 a is provided behind the freezer compartment 25, and a freezer compartment cooler fan (fan) 27 is provided on the upper part thereof. 25 is divided. The vegetable compartment 24 and the freezer compartment 25 are partitioned vertically by a first heat insulating partition wall 29, and the ice making chamber 22, the switching chamber 23 and the vegetable compartment 24 are vertically partitioned by a second heat insulating partition wall 30.
[0024]
In addition, the third heat insulating partition wall 31 partitions the refrigerator compartment 21 from the lower ice making chamber 22 and the switching chamber 23, and cold air does not enter and exit through the third heat insulating partition wall 31. A refrigerating room cooler 32 is disposed behind the refrigerating room 21, and a refrigerating room cooling fan 33 is provided above the refrigerating room cooler 32. The refrigerator compartment 21 and the cooler compartment are partitioned by the refrigerator compartment cooler cover 34.
[0025]
Next, the structure of the ice making chamber 22 will be described. An ice making fan 35 is disposed in the ice making chamber cooling air passage 36 behind the ice making chamber 22, and an ice making chamber cooling air passage cover 37 is formed in front of the ice making chamber 22. And compartmentalized.
[0026]
3 to 6, an ice making unit 38 is attached to the lower part of the third heat insulating partition wall 31 that becomes the top surface of the ice making chamber 22 to form an automatic ice making device 39. The ice making unit 38 is provided with two ice trays 40a and 40b and one drive source 41 that pivotally supports and reverses the ice trays 40a and 40b to perform an ice removing operation. The drive source 41 has shaft portions 41a and 41b corresponding to the ice trays 40a and 40b, respectively. The drive source 41 is provided with detection levers 41c and 41d for detecting whether the ice is full corresponding to the ice trays 40a and 40b.
[0027]
The two ice trays 40 are detachably engaged with the ice making unit 38 in a state where they are placed side by side on one frame 42. As for the positional relationship between the ice tray 40 and the drive source 41, the ice chamber fan 35, the drive unit 41, and the ice tray 40 are arranged in this order from the back of the ice chamber 22, and the ice tray 40 can be pulled out and attached to the front of the refrigerator 20. It is mounted on the frame body 42 as described above.
[0028]
The ice making unit 38 has guide portions 38a and 38b, cold air guide ports 38c and 38d, and cold air outlets 38e and 38f formed on both side surfaces. The guide portion 38a constitutes a bottom surface portion of the cold air passage 43, the vertical heat insulating partition wall 26 and the side plate 38g of the ice making unit 38 form a side surface portion, and the third heat insulating partition wall 31 forms a top surface portion to form one side surface of the ice making unit 38. A cold air passage 43 is formed.
[0029]
Further, the side wall 20a of the refrigerator body 20 and the side plate 38h of the ice making unit 38 are side portions, and the third heat insulating partition wall 31 is a top surface portion and constitutes a cold air passage 43 on the other side of the ice making unit 38. .
[0030]
A bifurcated water supply pipe 44 is provided in the upper part of the ice trays 40a and 40b, and a switching valve 45 is provided in the water supply path, and is disposed through the third heat insulating partition wall 31. Then, water is supplied from a water supply tank 46 detachably attached to the refrigerator compartment 21 via a water supply pump 47 and stored in one ice storage box 48 disposed below the ice trays 40a and 40b.
[0031]
Next, the air channel structure of the ice making chamber 22 will be described. The ice making chamber cooling air passage 36 is formed in communication with a lower freezer cooler 25a and a damper 49 for adjusting the amount of cool air to the ice making chamber 22. The ice making chamber cooling air passage cover 37 includes a cold air discharge unit (ice making chamber discharge port / discharge unit / discharge port) 37a, and a drive source 41 fixed to the ice making unit 38 is disposed in front of the discharge unit 37a. A cold air duct 38 i integrated with the ice making unit 41 is formed between the portion 37 a and the drive source 41, and cold air ports 50 a and 50 b communicating with the cold air passage 43 from both sides are formed. A partition plate 51 that divides the upper surface space of the ice trays 40 a and 40 b into two is formed integrally with the ice making cover 38 j of the ice making unit 38. The ice storage box 48 may be formed with a partition plate 48a that divides the ice made by the ice trays 40a and 40b.
[0032]
In addition, a cold air suction portion 37b is formed in the lower part of the ice making room cooling air passage cover 37, and a cold air return passage 30a is formed in the second heat insulating partition wall 30 on the lower surface, and communicates with the freezer cooler 25a. Yes.
[0033]
About the refrigerator comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement is demonstrated below.
[0034]
The cold air generated by the freezer cooler 25a is controlled by a damper 49, led to the ice making chamber cooling air passage 36, discharged from the ice making fan 35, and discharged from the discharge portion 37a into the ice making chamber 22. The cold air once discharged into the cold air duct 38i is guided to the cold air ports 50a and 50b, and is guided to the cold air guide ports 38c and 38d located on both sides on the upper surface of the ice trays 40a and 40b through the cold air passage 43. Cold air passes through the upper surfaces of the dishes 40a and 40b, and is led to the cold air suction portion 37b or the cold air return passage 30a through the cold air outlets 38e and 38f.
[0035]
The cold air guided to the cold air suction portion 37b is again discharged from the ice making chamber fan 35 and circulates in the ice making chamber 22 through the passage. The cold air led to the cold air return passage 30a passes through the back of the vegetable compartment 24 and returns to the freezer cooler 25a while indirectly cooling the vegetable compartment 24 by heat conduction of the back plate 24a.
[0036]
As described above, the cold air discharged from the ice making chamber fan 35 is discharged from the side surfaces of the ice trays 40a and 40b through the cold air passages 43 that circulate from both side surfaces of the drive source 41 disposed in the front, and the ice making unit 38 is configured. Since cold air passes between the ice making cover 38j and the top surfaces of the ice making trays 40a and 40b, even if there are ice making trays 40a and 40b which are detachable in the foreground, the drive source 41 is located behind the ice making chamber 22. The ice tray 40 can be cooled. Further, by forming a partition portion 38k for partitioning the upper space of the ice trays 40a, 40b in the longitudinal direction integrally with the ice making cover 38j, an air passage for individually cooling each ice tray 40 is formed and the flow of cold air is restricted. Therefore, the cooling efficiency can be increased.
[0037]
Although it is an ice making chamber air path when there are two detachable ice trays 40 as described above, even if there is only one ice tray 40, it is configured in the same way with one side air path so that it can be attached to the detachable ice tray. An air passage for the ice making chamber can be formed, and cooling can be performed uniformly.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the invention according to claim 1 is separate from the ice making chamber cooling air passage that sends the cold air to the ice making chamber in order from the rear of the ice making chamber where the cool air from the freezer cooler is guided by the fan. ice making compartment fan to circulate cold air forcibly in the ice compartment provided in the ice making chamber, met refrigerator are arranged in the order of the driving source and the ice tray is rotated the ice tray, the ice tray and the drive source is attached to the ice making unit forming part of the cool air passage, the cold air discharged from the manufactured ice chamber fan by cool air passage constitutes a passage for bypassing the driving source, and discharging the cool air into the ice tray, cold A cold air circulation air passage returning from the suction portion to the ice making chamber air passage is formed , and ice making efficiency can be increased.
[0039]
The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the cool air outlet provided to guide the cool air discharged from the ice making fan to the ice making chamber to the ice making tray, and the cool air discharged to the upper surface of the ice making plate. The guide port is formed integrally with the ice making unit, the cold air port is formed between the drive source and the ice making chamber discharge port, and the cold air guide port is formed on the upper surface of the side of the ice tray and is invalid. Space can be reduced.
[0040]
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the cold air discharged from the ice-making chamber fan is guided to the ice-making tray by going around both sides of the drive source, and further improving the ice-making efficiency. Can be improved.
[0041]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the cold air passage that guides the cold air to the ice tray is formed by an ice making unit and a heat insulating partition wall that forms the upper and side surfaces of the ice making chamber. It can be used effectively.
[0042]
The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 3, wherein the ice making chamber is partitioned by a vertical heat insulating partition wall along with other storage chambers, and the vertical heat insulating partition wall forms a part of the cold air passage. Therefore, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced.
[0043]
The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which two ice trays are arranged side by side, and the amount of ice making can be doubled.
[0044]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, a partition wall that is formed in the ice making unit and that partitions the upper surface space of the ice making tray integrally with the ice making cover disposed at the upper portion of the two ice making trays. The ice making efficiency can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view of the appearance of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 in the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an ice making unit according to the embodiment. 4 is a perspective view of the main part of the air passage inside the ice making unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the ice making chamber according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view of the ice making chamber according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional ice making machine. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the ice making machine in FIG.
20 Refrigerator 22 Ice making room 26 Vertical heat insulating partition wall 35 Ice making fan 36 Ice making room cooling air passage 37a Ice making room discharge port 38 Ice making unit 38c, 38d Cold air guide port 38j Ice making cover 40a, 40b Ice making plate 41 Drive source 43 Cold air passage 50a, 50b Cold mouth

Claims (7)

In order from the back of the ice making chamber cold air is guided from the freezer compartment cooler by the fan, the ice compartment cooling air path for sending the cold air to the ice compartment, cold air of the fan separately in forcing the ice compartment provided in the ice making chamber and the ice making compartment fan to circulate, meet refrigerator are arranged in the order of the driving source and the ice tray is rotated the ice tray, the ice tray and the driving source is mounted on the ice making unit forming part of the cool air passage is, the cool air discharged from the manufactured ice chamber fan by cool air passage constitutes a passage for bypassing the driving source, the discharged cool air to the ice tray, the cold air circulating air back to the manufactured icehouse air passage from the cold air suction unit A refrigerator characterized by forming a path .   A cold air outlet provided to guide the cold air discharged from the ice making fan to the ice making chamber to the ice tray and a cold air guide port discharged to the upper surface of the ice tray are formed integrally with the ice making unit, and the cold air outlet is a driving source. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerator is formed between the ice making chamber discharge port and the cold air guide port is formed on an upper surface of the side portion of the ice tray.   2. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cold air discharged from the ice-making chamber fan is guided to the ice-making tray around both sides of the drive source.   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the cold air passage for guiding the cold air to the ice making tray is formed by an ice making unit and a heat insulating partition wall forming an upper surface and a side surface of the ice making chamber.   The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein the ice making chamber is partitioned by a vertical heat insulating partition wall along with other storage chambers, and the vertical heat insulating partition wall forms a part of the cold air passage.   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein two ice trays are arranged side by side.   The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein a partition wall that partitions the upper surface space of the ice making tray is formed integrally with an ice making cover that is formed in the ice making unit and is arranged on top of the two ice making trays.

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