JP4639630B2 - Water supply device and refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a water supply apparatus for supplying water.

  Conventionally, this type of water supply device is an ice making device for a freezer compartment that is formed below the refrigerator compartment by free-falling water by the operation of an on-off valve that forms the water of a water supply container arranged in the refrigerator compartment below. Water supply methods are widely commercialized.

  However, this method has a problem that water supply advances, the water level of the water supply container decreases, and the amount of water supplied per time also decreases, resulting in variations in the size and quantity of ice.

  Therefore, in recent years, specifications have been developed in which a measuring container is configured as a water supply container to improve water supply accuracy (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  FIG. 12 is an overall configuration diagram and a detailed diagram of a water supply device of a conventional automatic ice making device described in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. 12, the freezer compartment 52 is below the refrigerator compartment 51, and a door switch 62 is installed in the partition between the refrigerator compartment 51 and the refrigerator compartment 52. A water supply container corner 54 is installed in the lower stage of the refrigerator compartment 51, and an ice making machine 55 is installed in the freezer compartment 52. There is a water container assembly 58 including a metering mechanism 60 in a water supply container corner 54, a water supply path 63 including a solenoid 57 and a cap 61, and the solenoid 57 is a driving means and is disposed from the outside of the water supply path 63. The operating shaft of the solenoid 57 is exposed to the inside through the wall of the water supply channel 63 and can be operated in the vertical direction. A cap 61 is disposed at the tip of the operating shaft. The cap 61 is a blocking means made of a silicon-based material, and is positioned on the same axis as the lower end of the interlocking shaft 69. There is an ice tray 56 in the freezer compartment 52 under the water supply path 63. The water container assembly 58 includes a cap 70 including a water container 59 and a metering mechanism 60. The metering mechanism 60 includes an inner case 71 having an outflow hole 67, an inflow hole 65, and an air vent 74, and an upper case having activated carbon 73. 72, an inflow valve 66 for closing the inflow hole 65 on the inflow hole 65 side in the middle case 71, an outflow valve 68 for closing the outflow hole 67 on the outflow hole 67 side, an interlocking shaft 69 for connecting the two valves, and an outflow valve A spring 75 is disposed on the extension on the 67 side. When no force is applied to the interlocking shaft 69 from below, the inflow valve 66 is lowered by the spring 75 and the outflow valve 68 is also lowered, so that the inflow hole 65 is opened and the outflow hole 67 is closed. When the solenoid 57 in the water supply channel 63 is activated, the connected cage moves upward and pushes the interlocking shaft 69 upward from below. When a force is applied to the interlocking shaft 69 from below, the spring 75 is contracted and the inflow valve 66 is raised, and the inflow hole 65 is closed, and the outflow hole 67 is open. The upper case 72 is fixed to the middle case 71 with screws or thread eyes, and the middle case 71 is fixed to the cap 70 with screws or thread eyes.

In operation, when the solenoid 57 is not operating, the cover 61 is in a down state, and at this time, the spring 75 is extended and the interlocking shaft 69 is in a down state. At this time, since the inflow hole 65 is open, the water in the water container 59 passes through the activated carbon 73 and enters the upper case 72 and enters the measuring chamber 64 through the inflow hole 65, but the outflow hole 67 is closed. Therefore, the inside of the measuring chamber 64 is filled with water. At this time, the flow of water in the inflow hole 65 is smooth due to the air vent 74. Next, when the solenoid 57 is actuated, the cap 61 comes into contact with the interlocking shaft 69, and the inflow hole 65 is closed and the outflow hole 67 is opened at this time, so that the water in the measuring chamber 64 is discharged from the outflow hole 67. However, since water is not newly replenished from the water container 59, only the water in the measuring chamber 64 flows to the ice tray 56 through the water supply channel 63, so that it becomes a fixed amount of water supply. Since there is no air vent hole, the outflow time is not constant. In other words, even if the operation time of the solenoid 57 varies in the outflow time, it is possible to always supply a constant amount of water.
JP 2002-48445 A

  However, the configuration of the conventional water supply apparatus has a problem that the measuring mechanism disposed in the water supply container is complicated and expensive.

  This invention solves the said conventional subject, and it aims at providing the cheap water supply apparatus which can achieve a predetermined water supply precision with a simple structure.

In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, a water supply device of the present invention includes a water supply container, a discharge path for discharging water stored in the water supply container to the outside of the water supply container, and an outlet of the discharge path. An opening / closing valve provided and a flow rate adjusting unit provided in the discharge path, and an upstream end of the discharge path is opened into the water supply container at a height h at which water supply is stopped, and the water supply container The on-off valve is disposed at the bottom of the valve, and the flow rate adjusting portion is in contact with the throttle portion and a first position that increases the flow rate relatively away from the throttle portion and the throttle portion, and relatively reduces the flow rate. A flow rate adjusting valve movable between the second position, and the flow rate adjusting unit adjusts the flow rate by dynamic pressure due to a flow velocity in the discharge path and buoyancy of the flow rate adjusting valve.

  Accordingly, the amount of water supply can be adjusted by moving the flow path control valve, and the amount of water supply can be adjusted stepwise with a simple configuration.

The water supply device of the present invention includes a water supply container, a discharge port provided in a lower part of the water supply container and communicating with the outside of the water supply container, an on-off valve provided in the discharge port, and one end opened to the water supply container. And the other end has a discharge path communicating with the discharge port, and a flow rate adjusting portion formed in the discharge path, and the upstream end of the discharge path has a height h at which water supply is stopped. The opening / closing valve is disposed at the bottom of the water supply container, and the flow rate adjusting unit has a float and a holding unit that prevents the float from flowing out of the flow rate adjusting unit and an inner diameter of the discharge path. A throttle part having an inner diameter, the float is movable between the holding part and the throttle part, and the flow rate adjusting part is formed by dynamic pressure due to a flow velocity in the discharge path and buoyancy of the float. The flow rate is adjusted.

  Thereby, the area of the flow path is changed by moving the float, and the amount of water supply can be adjusted stepwise.

  The water supply apparatus of the present invention can adjust the amount of water supply with an inexpensive configuration by providing a flow path adjustment unit that changes the area of the flow path in stages.

The invention according to claim 1 is a water supply container, a discharge path for discharging water stored in the water supply container to the outside of the water supply container, an on-off valve provided at an outlet of the discharge path, A flow rate adjusting portion provided in the discharge path, and an upstream end of the discharge path is opened in the water supply container at a height h at which water supply is stopped, and the on-off valve is disposed at the bottom of the water supply container. The flow rate adjusting unit is movable between a first position where the flow rate adjusting unit is separated from the throttle unit and the flow rate is relatively increased, and a second position where the flow rate adjusting unit is in contact with the throttle unit and the flow rate is relatively decreased. And the flow rate adjusting unit is configured to adjust the flow rate according to the dynamic pressure due to the flow velocity in the discharge path and the buoyancy of the flow rate adjusting valve, so that the flow path adjusting valve moves. The amount of water supply will be adjusted with a simple and inexpensive structure. In high water supply accuracy can be obtained.

The invention according to claim 2 is a water supply container, a discharge port provided in a lower part of the water supply container and communicating with the outside of the water supply container, an on-off valve provided in the discharge port, and one end opened to the water supply container A discharge path whose other end communicates with the discharge port, and a flow rate adjusting portion formed in the discharge path, and the upstream end of the discharge path is in the water supply container at a height h at which water supply is stopped. Opened, the on-off valve is disposed at the bottom of the water supply container, the flow rate adjusting unit has a float and a holding unit for preventing the float from flowing out of the flow rate adjusting unit, and an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the discharge path The float is movable between the holding part and the throttle part, and the flow rate adjusting part is configured to adjust the dynamic pressure due to the flow velocity in the discharge path and the buoyancy of the float. Easy and inexpensive by adjusting the flow rate with Having a high water accuracy.

In addition to the invention according to claim 2 , the invention according to claim 3 is different from the invention according to claim 2 in that the flow direction of water passing through the throttle portion and the direction of buoyancy acting on the float differ from each other with the flow rate of water. The buoyancy of the float is less canceled by the generated dynamic pressure, and the float can be moved even if the float of the float is small, and the water supply container can be downsized.

In addition to the invention according to claim 2 , the invention according to claim 4 is formed with a gap through which water passes in the throttle portion in a state where the float is in contact with the throttle portion, The water in the water supply container flows out through this gap, and a predetermined water supply amount can be obtained even when the float is in contact with the throttle portion.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second or third aspect of the invention, the discharge path is formed in a substantially L shape, and the holding portion and the throttle portion provided in the flow path adjusting portion. Is provided substantially vertically, so that the flow direction of water passing through the constriction and the moving direction of the float are configured to be substantially perpendicular, so that the buoyancy of the float is generated by the dynamic pressure generated with the flow rate of water. Are almost cancelled, and even when the buoyancy of the float is small, the float can be moved, and the water supply container can be downsized.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the second to fourth aspects of the invention, the float is substantially spherical, and the contact form between the float and the throttle portion is constant even when the float is repeatedly moved. The water supply amount at the second position at the same water level is constant.

  In addition to the inventions of the first to fifth aspects, the invention according to claim 7 has a shape of a cross-section of the throttle portion that is substantially square, and even when the float is in contact with the throttle portion, A predetermined gap is formed between the two, and a stable water supply amount can be obtained with an inexpensive configuration.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first to seventh aspects, an end of the discharge path that is open to the water supply container is disposed at a predetermined height above the discharge port. In addition, by not discharging water below a predetermined height, water supply is stopped at a predetermined water level or lower, and an extremely low water supply amount is suppressed immediately before the water supply container is emptied. A stable water supply can be obtained.

  The invention according to claim 9 includes, in addition to the inventions according to claims 1 to 8, a refrigerating room formed in the refrigerator main body, and a water supply container disposed in the refrigerating room, and the water supply container is claimed in claim. By providing the water supply device according to any one of 1 to 8, it is possible to provide a refrigerator including a water supply device that can obtain a stable water supply amount with an inexpensive configuration.

  The invention of claim 10 is provided in addition to the inventions of claims 1 to 9, a refrigerator compartment formed in a refrigerator body, a freezer compartment provided adjacent to the refrigerator compartment, and the refrigerator compartment. An ice making device and a water supply container arranged in the refrigerator compartment, wherein the water supply device is provided with the water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein Since the discharge port is arranged to communicate with the ice making device, a stable water supply amount can be obtained with an inexpensive configuration, and a refrigerator equipped with an ice making device with reduced variation in ice size and quantity can be provided. Can be provided.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those of the conventional example or the embodiments described above, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a water supply apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the water supply container according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the water supply device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an AA cross-sectional view of the water supply apparatus in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an operation diagram of the float during water supply from the water level H1 to the water level H2 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an operation diagram of the float when water is supplied from the water level H2 to the water level H3 in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an operation diagram of the float when water supply is stopped and water is supplied from the water level H3 to the water level h in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a characteristic diagram showing the amount of water supply per time in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, the refrigerator compartment 51 is partitioned in the refrigerator body 1, and the freezer compartment 52 is below the refrigerator compartment 51. Are partitioned by a heat insulating partition 90.

  The water supply container 100 is detachably attached to the refrigerating chamber 51 and mainly includes a container main body 110 and a lid 120.

  The shape of the container main body 110 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container having an open top, the width direction dimension is small in order to improve the storage property in the refrigerator compartment 51, and the height dimension is set in order to secure a predetermined amount of retained water. A larger shape is desirable.

  On the bottom surface of the container body 110, there are formed an opening / closing valve fixing hole 112 for slidably fixing the discharge port 111 and the opening / closing valve 150 for allowing water in the water supply container to flow out. Further, on the outer surface of the container main body 110, a guide 113 having a hollow cylindrical shape with an open bottom is formed on the outer periphery in the vicinity of the discharge port 111. Further, on the bottom inner surface of the container main body 110, a protrusion 114 is formed on the entire circumference in the vicinity of the discharge port 111, and a sealing property with the on-off valve 150 is obtained.

  Further, a mesh-shaped guide 115 is formed in the vicinity of the lower portion of the container main body 110, and a water purification filter 116 mainly composed of activated carbon is installed on the upper portion of the guide 115.

  The lid 120 is detachably attached to the container body 110 so as to close the upper open portion of the container body 110.

  The water injection port 121 is an opening formed in the lid 120 and is used when manually supplying tap water or the like to the water supply container 100.

  The discharge path 130 is configured to be perpendicular to the inside of the container body 110, the upstream end 133 is open into the container body 110 at a height h from the discharge port 111, and the downstream end 136 of the discharge path 130 is Connected to the discharge port 111, an on-off valve 150 is configured inside the downstream end 136.

  The flow rate adjusting unit 140 includes a float 141, a protruding holding part 142 formed in the middle of the discharge path 130 toward the center of the flow path, and a throttle part 143 having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the discharge path 130. Consists of.

  The float 141 is preferably a hollow sphere and is made of polypropylene or the like having a light specific gravity. Here, the float 141 is provided with a predetermined clearance from the inner wall of the ridge between the holding portion 142 and the throttle portion 143 in the discharge path 130 so that the float 141 can move between the first position 144 and the second position 145. Has been inserted.

  Here, the ratio of the holding portion 142 to the cross section of the flow path is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the throttle portion 143 is a substantially rectangular opening formed below the holding portion 142.

  The first position 144 is a position where the upper surface of the float 141 comes into contact with the lower surface of the holding portion 142. In this first position, since the ratio of the holding portion 142 to the cross section of the flow path is equal to or less than a predetermined value, even when the float 141 is in contact with the holding section 142, a sufficient flow area is obtained. It is secured.

  The second position 145 is a position where the float 141 comes into contact with the throttle portion 143. In the second position 145, the float 141 is substantially spherical, and the flow path shape of the throttle portion 143 is substantially square. Therefore, when the float 141 is in contact with the throttle portion 143, the four corners of the throttle portion 143 are provided. A gap 146 is formed in the part.

  The on-off valve 150 mainly includes a cap 151 that opens and closes the discharge port 111, a shaft 152 that is fixed to the cap 151, and a spring 153 that is attached to the outer surface of the shaft 152 and below the cap 151.

  Here, it is desirable to use a soft material for the cap 151, and it is desirable that the cap 151 has a hollow, substantially cylindrical shape.

  In the vicinity of the center of the cap 151, the shaft 152 having one end fixed to the cap 151 has a flange portion 152a at the other end. Here, the shaft 152 passes through the on-off valve fixing hole 112, the cap 151 is disposed inside the container body 110, and the flange portion 152 a is disposed outside the container body 110.

  The spring 153 is disposed between the outer surface of the container body and the flange portion 152 a, and the lower surface of the cap 151 is always pressed against the protrusion 114 by the spring 153.

  The water supply path 160 is a water supply path that penetrates the heat insulating partition 90 and supplies water to the ice tray 181. As a shape, it is preferable that the water tray 161 having the open side of the refrigerating chamber 51 is disposed in the upper part, and the flow path area is asymptotically reduced downward, and the water dish 161 has a discharge port 111. It is arrange | positioned so that the lower part of may be covered. Here, an opening 162 is formed in the water dish 161 immediately below the on-off valve, and a protrusion 163 is formed around the opening 162 upward.

  The driving device 170 is disposed coaxially with the shaft 152 inside the heat insulating partition 90 and below the water pan 161, and is mainly composed of a solenoid 171 and a joint 172.

  In the solenoid 171, the shaft 171 a slides upward in the ON state, and the shaft 171 a slides downward in the OFF state. At this time, in this embodiment, the time of the ON state in which the solenoid 171 is energized during each water supply is constant.

  Here, the shaft 171a passes through the opening 162 and protrudes upward from the water dish 161, and a joint 172 is formed at the tip of the shaft 171a. The shape of the joint 172 is a conical shape whose diameter is asymptotically increased downward with the tip 172a positioned at the upper portion of the shaft 171a as the apex.

  The ice making device 180 is configured in the freezer compartment 52, and includes an ice making plate 181 that stores the supplied water to make ice, and a drive device 182 for deicing, and a detailed description thereof is omitted.

  H1 is the distance between the water level and the discharge port 111 when the water is full.

  H2 is the distance from the water level at which the float 141 starts moving from the second position 145 to the first position 144 and the discharge port 111 during water supply.

  H3 is a distance from the water level at which the float 141 completely moves from the second position 145 to the first position 144 and the discharge port 111 during water supply.

  About the water supply container comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  First, the water supply container 100 removed from the refrigerator compartment 51 is manually supplied with tap water from a water inlet 121 formed in the lid 120. At this time, since the discharge port 111 is closed by the cap 151 by the spring 153, the on-off valve 150 is in a closed state, and water does not leak from the discharge port 111. Here, when the on-off valve 150 is in the closed state, the float 141 is lifted by its buoyancy and is in the first position 144 as shown in FIG.

  Next, when the water supply is completed and the full water supply container 100 is installed in the refrigerator compartment 51, ice making is started, and when the solenoid 171 is turned on, the joint 172 moves upward, and the tip 172a moves to the flange 152a. By pushing up the cap 151 that is in contact with and fixed to the shaft 152, the purified water that has passed through the water purification filter 116 flows out from the discharge port 111 to the water tray 161. At this time, the float 141 moves from the first position 144 to the second position 145 as shown in FIG. 5 because the dynamic pressure generated by the flow velocity in the discharge path 130 becomes larger than the buoyancy of the float 141. As a result, only the gap 146 becomes the flow path area in the throttle portion 143. Therefore, the water supply amount characteristic is the characteristic as in the first section of FIG.

  Next, when the water level of the water supply container 110 is between H1 and H2, the float 141 has a value close to the dynamic pressure generated by the flow velocity in the discharge path 130 and the buoyancy of the float 141 when water supply starts. As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle reciprocates between the first position 144 and the second position 145. Therefore, the water supply amount characteristic is the characteristic as in the second section of FIG.

  Next, when the water level of the water supply container 110 is equal to or lower than H2, the buoyancy of the float 141 is larger than the dynamic pressure generated by the flow velocity in the discharge path 130 even when water supply is started. It remains in the first position 144 as shown. Thereby, the entire area of the throttle part 143 becomes the flow path area. Therefore, the water supply amount characteristic is the characteristic as in the third section of FIG.

  In this way, in the case of a free-fall type water supply device in which the measuring container and the float 141 of this embodiment are not provided, the amount of water supplied once decreases gradually as the number of water supply increases, while this embodiment , The float 141 and the throttle 143 come into contact or non-contact, and the flow area changes, that is, the flow area becomes small when the water level is high, and the flow area becomes low when the water level is low. Becomes larger.

  Therefore, by switching the water supply amount characteristics in two stages, the accuracy of the water supply amount can be adjusted within a predetermined range, and variations in the size and number of ice due to the decrease in the water supply amount can be reduced.

  Here, the amount of water supplied by the free-fall method is greatly influenced by the water level of the water supply container, so the width dimension is small as in this embodiment, and the height dimension is made larger in order to secure a predetermined amount of retained water. In the water supply container having the shape, the effect of improving the water supply accuracy appears more greatly.

  Further, since the float 141 is substantially spherical and the throttle portion 143 is substantially square, even if the float 141 repeatedly makes contact and non-contact with the throttle portion 143, the flow path area at the time of contact and The flow area at the time of non-contact is the same value, and a stable water supply amount characteristic is obtained.

  Next, when the water supply proceeds, the upstream end 133 of the discharge path 130 is opened in the container main body 110 at a height h from the discharge port 111, so that the water supply stops at the time of the water level h. It is possible to reduce variations in the size and number of ice pieces due to a significant decrease in the amount of water supply.

  As described above, the water supply apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the water supply container 100, the discharge port 111 provided in the lower part of the water supply container 100 and communicating with the outside of the water supply container 100, the on-off valve 150 provided in the discharge port 111, One end of the water supply container 100 is open and the other end is in communication with the discharge port 111. The flow rate adjustment unit 140 is formed in the discharge route 130. The flow rate adjustment unit 140 has a float 141 and a float. The holding element 142 prevents the child element 141 from flowing out of the flow rate adjusting part 140 and the throttle part 143 having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the discharge path 130, and the float 141 can move between the holding part 142 and the throttle part 143. As a result, the flow area is switched depending on the position of the float 141, so that the accuracy of the water supply amount is adjusted within the predetermined range. Key can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, a gap 146 is formed between the float 141 and the throttle portion 143 at the second position 145, and a water supply amount characteristic with the gap 146 as the flow path area is obtained.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the float 141 is substantially spherical and the throttle portion 143 is substantially square. Even when the float 141 repeatedly makes contact and non-contact with the throttle portion 143, The channel area and the channel area when not in contact with each other have the same value, and a stable water supply amount characteristic can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the end 133 of the discharge path 130 that is open to the water supply container 110 is disposed above the discharge port 111 by a predetermined height h, so that the water supply is performed at a predetermined water level h or lower. Is stopped, an extreme decrease in the amount of water supply immediately before the water supply container becomes empty can be suppressed, and variations in the size and quantity of ice can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a water supply apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a water supply container according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the water supply device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  The discharge path 230 is a substantially L-shaped tube that is configured inside the container main body 110 and includes a first channel 231 formed substantially vertically and a second channel 232 formed substantially horizontally.

  The upstream end 233 of the first flow path 231 is opened in the container main body 110 at a height h from the discharge port 111.

  The first flow path 231 and the second flow path 232 are connected at the upstream end of the second flow path 232, and the downstream end 236 of the second flow path is connected to the discharge port 111, and is located inside the downstream end 236. An on-off valve 150 is configured.

  The flow rate adjusting unit 240 has a float 241, a protruding holding part 242 formed in the middle of the first flow path 231 toward the flow path center, and an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the second flow path 232. And a diaphragm 243.

  Here, the ratio of the holding part 242 to the cross section of the flow path is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the flow path shape of the throttle part 243 is substantially square, and the upstream end 243a of the throttle part 243 is located upward. Asymptotically, it has a shape that tilts downstream.

  The float 241 is preferably made of a hollow sphere and made of polypropylene having a low specific gravity as the material. Here, the float 241 has a predetermined clearance from the inner wall of the collar between the holding portion 242 and the throttle portion 243 in the first flow path 231 so that the float 241 can move between the first position 244 and the second position 245. It is provided and inserted.

  The first position 244 is a position in the first flow path 231 where the upper surface of the float 241 contacts the lower surface of the protrusion 234. In this first position 244, since the ratio of the holding portion 242 to the cross section of the flow path is equal to or less than a predetermined value, a sufficient flow path area can be obtained even when the float 241 is in contact with the holding section 242. Is secured.

  The second position 245 is an intersection of the first flow path 231 and the second flow path 232, and is a position where the float 241 contacts the upstream end 243 a of the throttle portion 243. In the second position 245, the float 241 is substantially spherical, and the flow path shape of the throttle portion 243 is substantially square. Therefore, when the float 241 is in contact with the upstream end 243a of the throttle portion 243, the upstream portion 243 Gaps 246 are formed at the four corners of the end 243a.

  About the water supply container comprised as mentioned above, the operation | movement and an effect | action are demonstrated below.

  In the present embodiment, the direction of buoyancy applied to the float 241 (force acting upward) and the direction of dynamic pressure applied to the float 241 near the throttle 243 (force acting in a substantially horizontal direction) are substantially vertical. Therefore, even when the buoyancy of the float 241, that is, the volume of the float is small, the contact between the float 241 and the throttle portion 243 starts to be released from the predetermined water level H2.

  Further, the upstream end 243a of the throttle portion 243 is inclined asymptotically in the downstream direction upward, so that the upstream end 243a is slightly fitted into the upstream end 243a of the throttle portion 243 as shown in FIG. The float 141 in contact is not caught on the upper wall surface of the throttle portion 243, and the float 141 is easily released, and the contact between the float 241 and the throttle portion 243 starts to be released from a predetermined water level H2.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the water supply container of the present embodiment has a discharge path so that the flow direction of water passing near the throttle portion 243 and the direction of buoyancy acting on the float 241 are substantially perpendicular. 230, the buoyancy of the float 241, that is, the volume of the float is small, the contact between the float 241 and the throttle portion 243 is released from the predetermined water level H2, and the water supply container can be downsized. become.

  As described above, the water supply container according to the present invention has a float in the container body, and the float automatically adjusts the amount of water supply according to the water level in the water supply container. It can be applied to built-in ice making equipment for system kitchens, vending machines, and commercial ice making machines.

Sectional drawing of Example 1 of the water supply apparatus by this invention Sectional drawing of Example 1 of the water supply container by this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of Example 1 of the water supply apparatus by this invention AA sectional view of Example 1 of a water supply apparatus according to the present invention. Operational diagram of embodiment 1 of water supply apparatus according to the present invention Operational diagram of embodiment 1 of water supply apparatus according to the present invention Operational diagram of embodiment 1 of water supply apparatus according to the present invention The characteristic view of Example 1 of the water supply apparatus by this invention Sectional drawing of Example 2 of the water supply apparatus by this invention Sectional drawing of Example 2 of the water supply container by this invention Sectional drawing of the principal part of Example 2 of the water supply apparatus by this invention Overall configuration diagram and detailed diagram of a conventional water supply device

Explanation of symbols

h Predetermined height 1 Refrigerator body 51 Refrigeration room 52 Freezing room 100 Water supply container 111 Discharge port 130 Discharge path 133 Upstream end 140 Flow rate adjustment part 141 Float 142 Holding part 143 Restriction part 144 First position 145 Second position 146 Gap 150 Opening / closing Valve 180 Ice making device 230 Discharge path 233 Upstream end 240 Flow path adjustment unit 241 Float 242 Holding unit 243 Restriction unit 244 First position 245 Second position 246 Clearance

Claims (10)

A water supply container, a discharge path for discharging water stored in the water supply container to the outside of the water supply container, an on-off valve provided at an outlet of the discharge path, and a flow rate adjustment provided in the discharge path And the upstream end of the discharge path is opened in the water supply container at a height h at which water supply is stopped, the on-off valve is disposed at the bottom of the water supply container, and the flow rate adjustment part is a throttle part And a flow rate adjusting valve that is movable between a first position that is spaced apart from the restrictor and relatively increases the flow rate and a second position that is in contact with the restrictor and relatively decreases the flow rate. And the said flow volume adjustment part is a water supply apparatus which adjusts flow volume by the dynamic pressure by the flow velocity in the said discharge path, and the buoyancy of the said flow volume control valve. A water supply container; a discharge port provided at a lower portion of the water supply container and communicating with the outside of the water supply container; an on-off valve provided in the discharge port; one end opening to the water supply container and the other end communicating with the discharge port And a flow rate adjusting portion formed in the discharge path, and an upstream end of the discharge path is opened into the water supply container at a height h at which water supply is stopped, and a bottom portion of the water supply container The on-off valve is disposed, and the flow rate adjusting unit includes a float, a holding unit for preventing the float from flowing out of the flow rate adjusting unit, and a throttle unit having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the discharge path. The float is movable between the holding part and the throttle part, and the flow rate adjusting part adjusts the flow rate by the dynamic pressure due to the flow velocity in the discharge path and the buoyancy of the float.   The water supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a flow direction of water passing through the throttle portion and a direction of buoyancy acting on the float are different.   The water supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a gap through which water passes is formed in the throttle portion in a state where the float is in contact with the throttle portion.   The water supply device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the discharge path is formed in a substantially L shape, and the holding portion and the throttle portion provided in the flow path adjusting portion are provided substantially vertically. .   The water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the float is substantially spherical.   The water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the throttle portion is a substantially square shape.   Item 8. The water supply apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7, wherein an end of the discharge path that is open to the water supply container is disposed at a predetermined height above the discharge port.   A refrigerator having a refrigerator compartment formed in a refrigerator main body and a water supply container arranged in the refrigerator compartment, wherein the water supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is arranged in the water supply container. .   A refrigerating room formed in a refrigerator body, a freezing room provided adjacent to the refrigerating room, an ice making device provided in the freezing room, and a water supply container disposed in the refrigerating room, A refrigerator, wherein the water supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is disposed in the container, and the discharge port of the water supply container is disposed so as to communicate with the ice making device.