JP4334518B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an automatic ice maker.

  In the conventional automatic ice making machine, after the ice making operation for making the ice in the ice tray, the temperature of the ice tray is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, −10 ° C.) and a predetermined time (for example, 100 minutes) elapses. It is judged that the ice making is completed, the ice tray is rotated forward from the water supply position to the ice removing position by the drive device, the ice making is performed by twisting the ice tray, and when the detecting means detects the ice removing position of the ice making tray, Next, the ice tray is reversed until it returns to the water supply position. When the detection means detects the water supply position of the ice tray, the driving device is stopped and the next ice making operation is started.

At this time, after the ice tray is rotated forward, if the detection means does not detect the ice-off position of the ice tray even after a certain period of time, the ice tray is reversed and the ice tray is returned to the water supply position. The apparatus is stopped, a series of operations is terminated, and then the next ice making operation is started.
When the automatic ice maker configured as described above detects that the foreign object such as ice or food is stuck between the ice maker and the holding part of the automatic ice maker, the ice maker rotates forward as it is. Without continuing, the ice tray is reversed to remove foreign matter, so that the load on the drive device can be reduced (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-259973 (first page, FIGS. 6 and 7)

  However, in the conventional automatic ice maker, after detecting that the ice tray cannot be rotated forward during deicing and reversing the ice making plate, the deicing operation is terminated once again without completing the deicing, and again Since a series of operations are performed from the ice making operation, it is necessary to wait for a predetermined time (for example, 100 minutes) to judge whether ice making is completed, and normal rotation for immediately deicing the ice cannot be resumed. There was a problem.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a foreign object such as ice or food between the ice tray and the holding unit of the automatic ice maker while the ice tray is rotated forward from the water supply position to the ice separation position in order to deice the ice. When the ice tray becomes unable to rotate forward due to being pinched, the ice tray is reversed once, the foreign matter caught is removed, and then the ice tray is rotated again to complete ice removal quickly. It is to provide a refrigerator having an automatic ice making machine.

The refrigerator according to the present invention includes an ice tray, a driving device that rotates the ice tray, a position detection unit that detects a water supply position and deicing of the ice tray, a water supply device for supplying water to the ice tray, and an ice making machine. In a refrigerator having an automatic ice maker comprising an ice tray rotation abnormality determining means for detecting a state in which the dish cannot be rotated and a control means for controlling the drive device and the water supply device, the control means is a water supply position of the position detection means. The ice tray rotation abnormality determination device cannot rotate the ice tray while the drive device is operated based on the detection of the ice tray and the ice tray is rotated from the water supply position to the ice separation position in order to perform ice removal. Once detected, the ice tray is once rotated in the direction of the water supply position, and after a certain period of time has elapsed, or after the position detection means detects the water supply position, the ice tray is again turned on without waiting for the elapse of time to determine completion of ice making. Release Rotated to the position is quickly put up for completing the ice removing.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, the control means operates the drive device based on the detection of the water supply position of the rotated ice tray and the water supply position of the position detection means for detecting the ice release position, and performs ice removal. While the ice tray is rotating from the water supply position to the ice release position, if the ice tray rotation abnormality determination means detects that the ice tray cannot be rotated, the ice tray is once rotated in the direction of the water supply position, and a certain time has elapsed. Or, after the position detecting means detects the water supply position, the ice making tray is again rotated to the deicing position without waiting for the elapse of time to determine completion of ice making , so that the deicing is completed quickly. The ice tray rotation abnormality determination means detects that the ice tray cannot be rotated, so that the ice tray cannot be rotated when a foreign object such as ice or food is caught between the rotating ice tray and the automatic ice maker holder. Octopus When the ice tray rotates from the water supply position to the ice-off position, that is, when it cannot rotate normally, the ice tray is once reversed to the water supply position to remove the trapped foreign matter and immediately thereafter the ice tray The normal rotation is resumed, and there is an effect that the disengagement can be completed quickly without waiting for the elapse of time for judging completion of ice making.
Even if the ice tray cannot be rotated, attempting to rotate the ice tray in the same direction may damage the ice tray and the drive, but it is determined that the ice tray cannot be rotated. if, for resuming the forward rotation of the ice tray after eliminating caught by reversing the ice making tray to its original position the foreign matter, to continue to forcibly drive the drive Narazu, ice tray and drive There is also an effect that it is possible to prevent breakage of the battery.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an automatic ice making machine mounted on a refrigerator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the refrigerator, and FIG. 3 is an automatic ice making machine mounted on the refrigerator. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ice making chamber, FIG. 4 is a perspective view in which a part of the automatic ice maker installed in the refrigerator is broken, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic ice maker installed in the refrigerator, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an ice removing operation of an automatic ice maker mounted on the machine.
As shown in FIG. 2, a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice making machine has an ice making room 1, a refrigerating room 2, a vegetable room 3, and a freezing room 4, and includes a compressor 7 and a cooler 8. Cold air is generated by the cycle, and this cold air is circulated into the ice making chamber 1, the refrigerator compartment 2, the vegetable compartment 3, and the freezer compartment 4 by the internal fan 9. Reference numeral 20 denotes a refrigerator compartment door of the refrigerator compartment 2, 21 denotes an ice making compartment door of the ice making compartment 1, 22 denotes a vegetable compartment door of the vegetable compartment 3, and 23 denotes a freezer compartment door of the freezer compartment 4.

  The automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator mainly includes an ice tray 11, a drive device 12 that is an example of a drive motor that rotates the ice tray 11 to perform an ice removing operation, and a water supply position and separation of the ice tray 11 that is rotated. A position detection means 15 for detecting the ice position, an ice detecting lever 13 that moves up and down to detect whether the ice is full or empty based on the amount of ice stored in the ice storage box 14, and ice making for judging completion of ice making. The ice tray temperature sensor 17 that detects the temperature of the tray 11, an automatic ice maker holding unit 19 for fixing the ice tray 11 in the automatic ice maker, and a water supply device that supplies water to the ice tray 11 are configured.

The driving device 12 is connected to a rotating shaft (not shown) provided at the center of one end of the ice tray 11. A support shaft 11 a provided at the center of the other end of the ice tray 11 is rotatably held by an automatic ice making machine holding unit 19.
The water supply device includes a water storage tank 10 for accumulating water, a water supply pump 14 for pumping water from the water storage tank 10, a water supply pipe 10a for supplying water pumped up by the water supply pump 14 to the ice tray 11, and freezing of the water supply pipe 10a. In order to prevent this, the anti-freezing heater 16 is provided around the water supply pipe 10a.

FIG. 1 shows a control system of an automatic ice making machine mounted on a refrigerator.
This control system has a microcomputer 31 provided on the control board 30. A microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as “microcomputer”) 31 stores a program for performing a series of sequence control of water supply, ice detection and deicing for automatic ice making, and performs so-called microcomputer control for automatic ice making.
That is, during water supply, the water supply pump 14 is driven for a predetermined time, and the completion of water supply is determined based on the ice tray temperature detected by the ice tray temperature sensor 17.

  After the water supply is completed, the completion of ice making is determined based on the ice tray temperature detected by the ice tray temperature sensor 17. The ice storage amount of the ice storage box 6 is checked by the lever lowering angle of the ice detecting lever 13 at the time of ice making, and the ice storage box 6 stores ice. If there is a margin, the process proceeds to the deicing operation and the drive motor of the drive unit 12 is driven. As a result, the ice tray 11 is rotated, and the ice in the ice tray 11 is deiced and falls to the ice storage box 6.

Next, the operation of the automatic ice maker installed in the refrigerator will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, the microcomputer 31 as the control means drives the water supply pump 14 via a drive circuit (not shown) to supply water from the water supply tank 10 to the ice tray 11 through the water supply pipe 10a (step 1). Next, the microcomputer 31 drives the internal fan 9 through the drive circuit to send ice to the ice making chamber 1 by supplying the cold air generated by the refrigeration cycle including the cooler 8, the compressor 7 and the like (see FIG. Step 2).
The microcomputer 31 is built in the timer 31a and confirms that a predetermined time (for example, 100 minutes) has elapsed, and the ice tray temperature sensor 17 provided on the bottom surface of the ice tray 11 sets the ice tray 11 The temperature is detected, and when the detected temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature (for example, −10 ° C.), it is determined that ice making is completed (step 3). If the ice making is not completed, the ice making operation is continued until the ice making is completed.

When the ice making is completed, the microcomputer 31 moves the ice detecting lever 13 downward through the drive circuit, and if the ice storage amount in the ice storage box 6 is small and does not collide with ice, the ice storage box 6 will be empty ice. Judgment is made, and if the ice detecting lever 13 cannot rotate downward due to collision with ice during the descent, it is determined that the ice storage box 6 is full (step 4). At this time, if the ice storage box 6 is full of ice, the ice making operation in step S2 is performed again. When the ice detecting lever 13 determines that the ice is empty or full, it outputs a determination signal to the microcomputer 31 in either case.
When the microcomputer 31 receives the determination signal of the empty ice from the ice detecting lever 13 and determines that the ice storage box 6 is empty ice, the drive motor of the driving device 12 is driven via the drive circuit to rotate the ice tray 11. The ice removal operation is performed (step 5). When the ice removal operation is completed, water is supplied to the ice tray 11 by the water supply pump 14 (step 1), and the process proceeds to the next ice making operation.

The deicing operation of step 5 in the above series of operations will be described in detail based on the flowchart of FIG.
When the ice removal operation starts, the microcomputer 31 drives the drive motor of the drive device 12 via the drive circuit based on the detection of the water supply position of the position detection means 15 to reach the ice tray 11 from the water supply position to the ice release position. (Step S5.1). At this time, the timer 31a confirms that the time required for the ice tray 11 to rotate normally (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed, and if the position detection means 15 does not detect the deicing position of the ice tray 11 The microcomputer 31 determines that ice or a foreign object such as food stored in the ice making chamber 1 is caught between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice making machine holding unit 19 and cannot be rotated (step S5.2).

  When it is determined that a foreign object has been caught between the ice tray 11 and the holding unit 19 of the automatic ice maker, the microcomputer 31 keeps the ice tray 11 until a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) elapses or the position detection means It reverses until it detects the water supply position of the ice tray 11, and the caught foreign material is excluded (step S5.4, S5.5). When the reverse rotation is completed, the process returns to step S5.1 and the normal rotation of the ice tray 11 is resumed.

In addition, even if the ice tray 11 is reversed to eliminate the trapped foreign matter, the foreign matter is not excluded, and the position detecting means 15 cannot detect the deicing position of the ice tray 11 even if the ice tray 11 is rotated forward thereafter. Repeats forward and reverse rotation of the ice tray 11 until foreign matter can be removed. Thereby, the caught foreign material can be shaken off reliably, and ice removal can be completed quickly.
When the foreign matter is eliminated in this way and the position detecting means detects the ice removal position of the ice tray 11 (step S5.3), the operation is shifted to the operation of returning the ice tray 11 to the water supply position with the completion of ice removal. (Step S5.6)

  After the completion of the ice removal, the microcomputer 31 drives the drive motor of the drive device 12 via the drive circuit based on the detection of the ice release position by the position detection means 15 to reverse the ice tray 11 from the ice release position to the water supply position. The timer 31a confirms that the time (for example, 20 seconds) required for the ice tray 11 to rotate normally has elapsed since the ice tray 11 started to reverse from the ice-off position (step S5.7). If the detection means 15 does not detect the water supply position of the ice tray 11, the microcomputer 31 determines that a foreign object has been caught between the ice tray 11 and the holding unit 19 of the automatic ice making machine and can no longer rotate (step S 5.7). ).

  If it is determined that a foreign object is caught between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice maker holding unit 19 during the reverse rotation, the microcomputer 31 holds the ice tray 11 until a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) elapses. Or, it is rotated forward until the position detecting means detects the deicing position of the ice tray 11, and the caught foreign matter is removed (steps S5.9 and S5.10). When the normal rotation is completed, the reverse rotation of the ice tray 11 is resumed.

If the ice tray 11 is rotated forward in order to eliminate the trapped foreign matter, the foreign matter is not excluded, and if the position detector 15 cannot detect the water supply position of the ice tray even if the ice tray is reversed thereafter, the microcomputer No. 31 repeats normal rotation and reverse rotation of the ice tray 11 until foreign matter can be removed. Thereby, the caught foreign material can be reliably shaken off, and the ice tray 11 can be quickly moved to the water supply position.
When the foreign matter is removed in this way and the position detection means 15 detects the water supply position of the ice tray 11 (step S5.8), the microcomputer 31 ends the ice removal operation of step S5 and proceeds to the water supply operation of step S1.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the microcomputer 31 drives the driving motor of the driving device 12 to rotate the ice tray 11 forward from the water supply position, and the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice maker holding unit 19 If the ice tray 11 cannot be rotated forward due to a foreign object such as ice or food in between, the ice tray 11 is reversed to remove the foreign object, and then the ice tray 11 is rotated forward to the deicing position again. Thus, the ice removal can be completed quickly without waiting for the elapse of time to determine completion of ice making.
Further, when the microcomputer 31 cannot reverse the ice tray 11 when the ice tray 11 cannot be reversed because the foreign object is caught between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice maker holding unit 19 while the ice tray 11 is being reversed from the deicing position. The ice tray 11 is moved forward to the water supply position quickly without lapse of time for judging completion of ice making by rotating the tray 11 forward to remove foreign substances and then reversing the ice tray 11 to the water supply position again. Can be made for the next ice making.

  Further, when the ice tray 11 can no longer rotate, the ice tray 11 is once rotated in the reverse direction, so that the driving device 12 is not forcedly operated, and the load on the ice tray 11 and the driving device 12 is reduced. It is possible to prevent the ice tray 11 and the driving device 12 from being damaged.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an automatic ice making machine mounted on a refrigerator according to a modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.
In the first embodiment, a timer as an ice making tray rotation abnormality determination unit that detects an abnormality in which a foreign object such as ice or food is caught between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice making machine holding unit 19 and the ice making plate 11 cannot be rotated. The rotation time of the ice tray 11 is measured by 31a, and abnormal rotation of the ice tray 11 is determined based on the rotation time. In this modification, the current value of the drive motor of the drive device 12 is used instead of the timer 31a. Current value detecting means 32 for detecting is provided, and the rotation abnormality of the ice tray 11 is determined based on the current value measured by the current value detecting means 32.
That is, when a foreign object is caught between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice maker holding unit 19 and cannot rotate, the load on the drive motor of the drive device 12 increases, and the current of the drive motor detected by the current value detection means 32 is increased. Since the value is larger than that in the case of normal rotation, when detecting a current value that is equal to or greater than a predetermined current value, the microcomputer 31 detects a difference between the ice tray 11 and the automatic ice maker holding unit 19. It is determined that a foreign object is caught between the two, and has substantially the same effect as the first embodiment.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
8 is a front view of the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an automatic ice maker mounted on the refrigerator, and FIG. 10 is an automatic ice maker mounted on the refrigerator. It is a flowchart which shows ice removal operation | movement.
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a liquid crystal panel 18 for displaying an abnormality is provided on the refrigerator compartment door 20, and an ice tray 11 and an automatic ice maker holding unit 19 are provided inside the microcomputer 31. Is provided with a counting means 31c for counting the number of times of performing the operation of removing the foreign matter sandwiched between the two.
The deicing operation of the second embodiment is the same from step S5.1 to step S5.10 of the first embodiment, but between step S5.2 and step S5.4, and step S5.7. An abnormality of the automatic ice making machine is determined between step S5.4 and step S5.4.

That is, in the ice removing operation of the second embodiment, the time required for the ice tray 11 to rotate normally after the start of the ice removing operation and the ice tray 11 to rotate normally is as described in step S5.2. When 20 seconds have elapsed, it is determined that the automatic ice making machine is abnormal (1) (step S5.11), and the ice tray 11 is reversed in order to remove the trapped foreign matter. If the position detection means 15 cannot detect the ice removal position of the ice tray 11 even if the tray 11 is rotated forward, the ice tray 11 is rotated forward and backward repeatedly until the foreign matter can be eliminated.
In this case, in order to determine that the automatic ice making machine is abnormal each time in step S5.11, the number of times of abnormality determination is counted by the counting means 3b, and the number of times of abnormality determination is a predetermined number (for example, 10 times) or more. In the case (step S5.12), the operation of the automatic ice making machine is stopped (step S5.15).

  Further, when the ice tray 11 reverses the ice tray 11 from the deicing position and the time required for the ice tray 11 to reverse is 20 seconds as described in step S5.7, the automatic ice maker malfunction (2) In step S5.11, the ice tray 11 is rotated forward in order to remove the trapped foreign matter, but the position detection means 15 does not remove the foreign matter and the ice tray 11 is reversed thereafter. When the water supply position 11 cannot be detected, the ice tray 11 is repeatedly rotated in the reverse direction and the normal direction until the foreign matter can be removed.

In this case, in order to determine that the automatic ice making machine is abnormal each time in S step 5.13, the number of abnormality determinations is counted by the counting means 3b, and the number of abnormality determinations is a predetermined number (for example, 10 times) or more. If so (S step 5.14), the operation of the automatic ice making machine is stopped (step S5.15).
As described above, when the operation of the automatic ice maker is stopped (step S5.15), the microcomputer 31 displays an ice tray abnormality display on the liquid crystal panel 18 (step S5.16). When time (for example, 100 minutes) elapses (step S5.17), the process proceeds to the ice making operation of step 2, and a series of operations are performed again.

In the refrigerator according to the second embodiment, when there is an abnormality in the operation of the automatic ice maker, the microcomputer 31 displays an ice tray abnormality display on the liquid crystal panel 18, so that the user is informed that the automatic ice maker is abnormal. can do. In addition, when there is an abnormality in the operation of the automatic ice maker, the microcomputer 31 stops the operation of the automatic ice maker, so that the operation of the automatic ice maker is not forcibly continued. Damage can be prevented in advance.
In the second embodiment, the abnormal display is performed on the liquid crystal panel 18, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the abnormal display may be performed by turning on or blinking the LED. Abnormality may be notified, and in either case, the effect is substantially the same as in the second embodiment.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an automatic ice maker installed in the refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an icing operation of the automatic ice maker installed in the refrigerator.
In the third embodiment, the anti-freezing heater 16 is connected to the microcomputer 31 in the electrical configuration of the second embodiment, and the energization of the anti-freezing heater 16 is controlled in accordance with the operating state of the automatic ice making machine. It is a thing.
The deicing operation of the third embodiment is the same from step S5.1 to step S5.17 of the second embodiment, but between step S5.16 and step S5.17 and after the end of step S5. And the energization control of the anti-freezing heater 16 between the water supply operation in step S1.

That is, the microcomputer 31 is frozen until a certain time (for example, 100 minutes) in step S5.17 elapses after the automatic ice maker is determined to be abnormal in step S5.15 and the operation of the automatic ice maker is stopped. The energization of the prevention heater 16 is not performed (step S5.18).
Further, the microcomputer 31 resumes energization of the anti-freezing heater 16 after the operation of removing the foreign matter is performed and the deicing operation of step S5 is completed and before the water supply operation of step 1 is started. (Step S5.19).

  Usually, in order to prevent the water supply pipe 15 from freezing, the freeze prevention heater 16 is always energized. However, in the refrigerator configured as in the third embodiment, the ice tray 11 cannot be rotated and an automatic ice maker is used. Since the operation of the automatic ice maker is stopped and the liquid crystal panel 18 displays the notification of the abnormality of the automatic ice maker, water does not pass through the water supply pipe 15, which is useless. It is not necessary to energize the anti-freezing heater 16 and power consumption can be suppressed.

The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the automatic ice making machine mounted in the refrigerator of Embodiment 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing of the refrigerator. Sectional drawing of the ice making chamber of the automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator. The perspective view which fractured | ruptured a part of automatic ice making machine mounted in the refrigerator. The flowchart which shows operation | movement of the automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator. The flowchart which shows the deicing operation | movement of the automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator. The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the automatic ice making machine mounted in the refrigerator of the modification of Embodiment 1 of this invention. The front view of the refrigerator of Embodiment 2 of this invention. The block diagram which shows the electric potential structure of the automatic ice making machine mounted in the refrigerator. The flowchart which shows the deicing operation | movement of the automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator. The block diagram which shows the electric potential structure of the automatic ice making machine mounted in the refrigerator of Embodiment 3 of this invention. The flowchart which shows the deicing operation | movement of the automatic ice maker mounted in the refrigerator.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ice making room, 5 Automatic ice machine, 6 Ice storage box, 10 Water supply tank, 11 Ice tray, 12 Driving device, 13 Ice detection lever, 14 Water supply pump, 15 Position detection means, 17 Ice tray temperature sensor, 30 Control board, 31 Microcomputer, 31a timer.

Claims (5)

An ice tray, a drive device that rotates the ice tray, a position detection means for detecting the water supply position and deicing of the ice tray, a water supply device for supplying water to the ice tray, and a state where the ice tray cannot be rotated are detected. In a refrigerator having an automatic ice making machine equipped with an ice tray rotation abnormality determining means, and a control means for controlling a drive device and a water supply device,
The control means operates the driving device based on detection of the water supply position of the position detection means, and rotates the ice tray from the water supply position to the ice release position in order to perform ice removal. When the rotation abnormality determination device detects that the ice tray cannot be rotated, the ice tray is once rotated in the direction of the water supply position, and it is determined that ice making is completed after a certain period of time has elapsed or the position detection means detects the water supply position. A refrigerator characterized in that the ice tray is rotated again to the de-icing position without waiting for the elapse of time to complete de-icing quickly . The ice tray rotation abnormality determining means is a timer for measuring a time required from the water supply position detected by the position detecting means to the ice removal position or from the ice release position to detecting the water supply position. The refrigerator according to 1 . Refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein said ice tray abnormal rotation judgment means which is a current detecting means for detecting a current value of the driving device. Display means for notifying the abnormality of the automatic ice making machine, and a counting means for counting the number of times the conversion of the rotation direction of the ice tray is repeatedly performed,
2. The control means, when the number of times counted by the counting means is a predetermined number or more, stops the operation of the driving device and causes the display means to display an abnormality of the automatic ice making machine. The refrigerator in any one of ~ 3 . A water supply pipe of the water supply device for supplying water to the ice tray is provided with a freezing prevention heater,
The control means operates the stopping of the drive device, while being displayed to the automatic ice maker abnormality on the display unit, according to claim 4, wherein the stopping the energization of the anti-freeze heater Refrigerator.

Images