JP5767048B2 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with an ice making device.

  A conventional refrigerator provided with an ice making device is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This refrigerator includes a refrigerator compartment, a freezer compartment, and an ice making room. The ice making chamber communicates with the freezing chamber, and ice making is performed by the ice making device and ice separated by the ice making device is stored.

  The ice making device has a water supply tank arranged in the refrigerator compartment and an ice making tray arranged in the ice making room and supplied from the water supply tank. An ice storage container is arranged below the ice tray. The ice tray has flexibility and is rotatably arranged. The ice tray is provided with a plurality of ice making pockets that open the top surface and partition the ice. The ice making pockets are arranged in two rows in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The ice tray is provided with a shielding rib that hangs down from the top of the ice tray and faces the side of the ice making pocket. The shielding rib is provided with a plurality of notches that open downward. The rigidity of the ice tray can be reduced by the notch.

  A cover that covers the bottom surface of the ice making pocket is attached to the ice tray, and a cord-shaped ice making heater is sandwiched between the bottom surface of the ice making pocket and the cover. Thus, the ice making heater is disposed in contact with the bottom surface of the ice making pocket.

  In the refrigerator configured as described above, when the water is supplied from the water supply tank to the ice tray and is supplied to a predetermined water level in the ice making pocket, the ice making heater is driven. Thereby, the water in the ice making pocket gradually freezes from the upper part by cooling with the cold air in the ice making chamber and the heating of the ice making heater, and transparent ice can be obtained. At this time, the sides of the ice making pocket are covered by the shielding rib, and cooling by cold air can be suppressed.

  When the water in the ice tray is frozen and ice making is completed, the ice tray is rotated. The ice tray is twisted by locking one end in the axial direction at a position where the upper surface of the ice making pocket faces downward and rotating the other end. As a result, the ice is released from the ice making pocket and falls and is stored in the ice storage container. At this time, since the notch portion is provided in the shielding rib, the ice tray can be reduced in rigidity, and the ice tray can be reliably twisted and deiced.

JP 2011-64374 A (page 4 to page 9, FIG. 3)

  However, according to the conventional refrigerator, since the notch for reducing the rigidity of the ice tray is provided in the shielding rib, a part of the cold air directly hits the ice making pocket through the notch. Accordingly, in order to obtain transparent ice, it is necessary to increase the driving power of the ice making heater, and there is a problem that the power consumption of the refrigerator increases.

  An object of this invention is to provide the refrigerator provided with the ice making apparatus which can obtain transparent ice with low power consumption.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flexible ice tray that is provided with a plurality of ice making pockets that are open and supplied with water, and a bottom portion that covers the lower side of the ice tray. A cover that extends upward from the bottom surface portion and covers a side of the ice tray, and is attached to the ice tray, and is made between the bottom surface and the bottom portion of the ice tray. An ice making device that freezes the water in the ice making pocket from above while heating the water in the ice making pocket by the ice making heater and rotates the ice making plate while twisting the ice making device. A portion is formed to extend from the bottom surface portion to an upper portion of the ice making pocket.

  According to this configuration, when water is supplied to the ice tray, the ice making heater is driven, and the water in the ice making pocket is gradually frozen from the top by cooling with cold air and heating by the ice making heater to obtain transparent ice. At this time, the cool air is shielded by the side surface of the cover that covers the top of the ice making pocket. When the water in the ice making pocket is frozen and ice making is completed, the ice tray is rotated while being twisted. Thereby, the ice is released from the ice making pocket and falls.

  Moreover, the present invention is characterized in that in the refrigerator configured as described above, the side surface portion is formed to extend from the bottom surface portion to a water supply level of the ice making pocket. According to this configuration, the cool air is shielded by the cover that covers the water level in the ice making pocket.

  According to the present invention, the ice making heater is sandwiched between the ice making pocket and the bottom surface portion of the cover, and is covered to the upper portion of the ice making pocket by the side surface portion of the cover. For this reason, the upper part of the ice-making pocket which is distant from the ice-making heater disposed below the ice-making tray can be shielded by the side surface portion, and rapid cooling by cold air can be suppressed. Thereby, the drive power of the ice making heater can be reduced to form transparent ice, and the power consumption of the refrigerator can be reduced. In addition, since the shielding ribs hanging from the upper part of the ice tray can be omitted or reduced as in the prior art, the ice tray can be reduced in rigidity and reliably deiced.

Side surface sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention The perspective view which looked at the ice tray of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention from upper direction The disassembled perspective view which looked at the ice tray of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention from the downward direction Front sectional drawing which shows the ice tray of the ice making apparatus of the refrigerator of embodiment of this invention

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a refrigerator according to an embodiment. In the refrigerator 1, a refrigerator compartment 2 is arranged at the top, and a vegetable compartment 18 is arranged below the refrigerator compartment 2. The refrigerator compartment 2 refrigerates and preserves stored items, and the vegetable compartment 18 refrigerates and preserves stored items at a refrigeration temperature suitable for preserving vegetables and the like that are hotter than the refrigerator compartment 2.

  Below the vegetable compartment 18, an ice making compartment 3 communicating with a freezer compartment (not shown) is arranged. The freezing room and the ice making room 3 are maintained at a temperature lower than the freezing point. The refrigerator compartment 2 is opened and closed by a door 8, and the ice making chamber 3 is opened and closed by a door 13. Further, the refrigerator 1 is provided with an ice making device 20 having a water supply unit 5 disposed in the refrigerator compartment 2 and an ice making unit 6 disposed in the ice making chamber 3.

  The water supply unit 5 includes a water supply tank 4, a water supply pipe 14, a water supply pump 7, a water supply tank detection unit 19, and an antifreezing heater 15. The water supply tank 4 stores water for ice making and is detachably disposed from the refrigerator compartment 2 by opening and closing the door 8. The water supply pipe 14 is led out from the water supply tank 4 and is provided to extend onto the ice tray 21 of the ice making unit 6.

  The water supply pump 7 is arranged in the path of the water supply pipe 14 and pumps water from the water supply tank 4 to supply water to the ice tray 21. The water tank detection unit 19 detects the mounting state of the water tank 4. The antifreezing heater 15 is provided in contact with the water supply pipe 14 and prevents freezing of water flowing through the water supply pipe 14. An antifreeze heater may be provided around the water supply tank 4. Thereby, freezing of the water in the water supply tank 4 is prevented.

  In the ice making chamber 3, the ice making unit 6 of the ice making device 20 is disposed above the ice storage container 11. The ice storage container 11 can store ice 16 and can be taken in and out by opening and closing the door 13. The ice making unit 6 includes an ice making tray 21, an ice making motor 10, and a detection lever 17. The ice tray 21 is supplied with water from the water supply tank 4 to make the ice 16 in the ice making chamber 3 below the freezing point. The ice making motor 10 has a rotating shaft 12 connected to the ice making tray 21 and rotationally drives the ice making tray 21. As will be described in detail later, the ice tray 21 is rotated and deiced while twisting. The detection lever 17 detects whether or not the ice storage container 11 is full.

  2 and 3 show a perspective view as seen from above the ice tray 21 and an exploded perspective view as seen from below. The ice tray 21 is made of polypropylene containing silicon, has flexibility, and is rotatably arranged on the rotary shaft 12.

  The ice tray 21 is provided with a plurality of ice making pockets 22 whose upper surfaces are open. The ice making pocket 22 is partitioned by a vertical partition wall 22a extending in the axial direction (front-rear direction in the present embodiment) of the rotary shaft 12 and a horizontal partition wall 22b extending in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction (left-right direction in the present embodiment). As a result, the ice making pockets 22 of the present embodiment are arranged in two rows in the direction (horizontal direction) perpendicular to the axial direction, and arranged in four rows in the axial direction (front-rear direction). In addition, you may arrange | position the axial direction of the ice tray 21 in the left-right direction.

  A groove 22c having an open upper surface is formed in the horizontal partition wall 22b and some of the vertical partition walls 22a. Water is supplied to each ice making pocket 22 from the ice making pocket 22 directly below the water supply pipe 14 through the groove 22c.

  The bottom surface 22d of each ice making pocket 22 is provided with two rows of holding ribs 22e protruding downward. The cord-shaped ice making heater 24 in which the heater wire is covered with silicon rubber or the like is held by the holding rib 22e. A cover 25 that covers the bottom surface 22 d of the ice making pocket 22 is attached below the ice tray 21 with screws 26. The cover 25 has a bottom surface portion 25 a that covers the lower side of the ice tray 21 and a side surface portion 25 b that extends upward from the bottom surface portion 25 a and covers the side of the ice tray 21. The ice making heater 24 is sandwiched between the bottom surface 22 d of the ice making pocket 22 and the bottom surface portion 25 a of the cover 25, and is disposed in contact with the bottom surface 22 d of the ice making pocket 22.

  Further, a thermistor 27 (see FIG. 4) for detecting the presence or absence of water is provided on the lower surface of the ice tray 21. Since the temperature of the ice tray 21 is increased by water supply, the thermistor 27 can easily detect the presence or absence of water.

  FIG. 4 shows a front sectional view of the ice tray 21. On the upper surface of the ice tray 21, both end portions 21a in the direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the axial direction are arranged at the same distance from the center of rotation. As a result, both end portions 21 a rotate on the same rotation locus D that is the outermost rotation locus of the upper surface of the cover 25. The upper and lower ends of the side surface portion 25b of the cover 25 are formed in contact with the rotation locus D, and the ice making pocket 22 is formed in contact with the side surface portion 25b.

  Thereby, interference with the bottom part of the ice-making pocket 22, the cover 25, and the other components in the ice-making chamber 3 during rotation of the ice-making tray 21 can be prevented, and ice removal can be performed without hindrance. In addition, the ice making pocket 22 can be formed to have a large volume to obtain a large volume of ice 16. In addition, the heat of the ice making heater 24 can be confined in the space between the cover 25 and the bottom of the ice making pocket 22.

  Note that the cover 25 may protrude outward from the rotation locus D within a range that does not interfere with other components in the ice making chamber 3. That is, it is sufficient that at least a part of the cover 25 is provided so as to intersect the rotation locus D. Further, when both end portions 21a on the upper surface of the ice tray 21 are arranged at different distances from the rotation center, the rotation locus of the end portion 21a far from the rotation center is the outermost rotation locus D.

  The side surface portion 25b of the cover 25 is formed to extend from both ends of the bottom surface portion 25a to the top of the ice making pocket 22. Cold air that directly hits the ice making pocket 22 is shielded by the side surface portion 25b. Since the ice making heater 24 is disposed below the ice tray 21, it is possible to suppress rapid cooling due to cold air by shielding the upper portion of the ice making pocket 22 with the side surface portion 25 b.

  Moreover, since the side surface part 25b extends to the upper part of the ice making pocket 22, the shielding rib hanging from the upper end of the ice making tray 21 can be omitted as in the conventional example. Accordingly, the rigidity of the ice tray 21 can be reduced and the ice tray 21 can be easily twisted.

  In addition, it is more desirable to form the side surface portion 25b extending from the bottom surface portion 25a to the water supply water level H of the ice making pocket 22. Thereby, the rapid cooling by the cold air of the water in the ice making pocket 22 can be suppressed reliably.

  In the refrigerator 1 configured as described above, when the water supply tank detection unit 19 detects that the water supply tank 4 is mounted, the freeze prevention heater 15 is driven. When the thermistor 27 detects that water is not supplied to the ice tray 21, the water supply pump 7 is driven to supply water into the ice making pocket 22 of the ice tray 21.

  When water is supplied to the water supply level H in the ice making pocket 22, the water supply pump 7 is stopped and the ice making heater 24 is driven. As a result, the water in the ice making pocket 22 is gradually frozen from above by cooling with the cold air in the ice making chamber 3 and heating by the ice making heater 24, and transparent ice 16 can be obtained.

  At this time, since the ice making pocket 22 and the side surface portion 25 b of the cover 25 are in contact with each other, the heat of the ice making heater 24 is confined in the space between the cover 25 and the bottom of the ice making pocket 22. Thereby, the heat of the ice making heater 24 leaking from between the ice making pocket 22 and the cover 25 can be reduced, and the driving power of the ice making heater 24 can be reduced. Further, since the cool air is not directly applied to the ice making pocket 22 by the cover 25, the rapid cooling by the cool air can be suppressed and the driving power of the ice making heater 24 can be further reduced.

  After the ice tray 21 is supplied with water, it is determined that the ice making is completed when a predetermined time elapses. Thereby, when it is detected by the detection lever 17 that the ice storage container 11 is not full, the ice removing operation is performed. That is, the ice tray 21 is rotated by the ice making motor 10. The ice tray 21 is twisted by rotating one end of the ice making pocket 22 at the position where the upper surface of the ice making pocket 22 faces downward, and further rotating the rotation shaft 12. As a result, the ice 16 is deiced and dropped from the ice making pocket 22 and stored in the ice storage container 11.

  According to the present embodiment, the ice making heater 24 is sandwiched between the ice making pocket 22 and the bottom surface portion 25 a of the cover 25, and the ice making pocket 22 is covered to the upper portion of the ice making pocket 22 by the side surface portion 25 b of the cover 25. For this reason, the upper part of the ice making pocket 22 apart from the ice making heater 24 arranged below the ice making tray 21 can be shielded by the side face portion 25b, and rapid cooling by cold air can be suppressed. Thereby, the drive power of the ice making heater 24 can be reduced to form transparent ice, and the power consumption of the refrigerator 1 can be reduced. Moreover, since the shielding rib suspended from the upper part of the ice tray 21 can be omitted as in the conventional example, the ice tray 21 can be made to be deiced reliably by reducing the rigidity.

  In addition, you may provide the shielding rib which hangs down from the both sides | surfaces of the upper end of the ice tray 21, and opposes the side surface of the ice making pocket 22. FIG. At this time, since the side surface portion 25b of the cover 25 is provided, the length of the shielding rib in the vertical direction can be made smaller than that of the conventional example. Therefore, although the rigidity of the ice tray 21 becomes larger than that of the present embodiment, the rigidity of the ice tray 21 can be made smaller than that of the conventional example.

  Further, since the side surface portion 25b of the cover 25 extends from the bottom surface portion 25a to the water supply water level H of the ice making pocket 22, rapid cooling due to the cold air of the water in the ice making pocket 22 can be reliably suppressed.

  According to this invention, it can utilize for the refrigerator provided with the ice making apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator 2 Refrigerated room 3 Ice making room 4 Water supply tank 5 Water supply part 6 Ice making part 7 Water supply pump 10 Ice making motor 12 Rotating shaft 14 Water supply pipe 15 Antifreeze heater 16 Ice 17 Detection lever 18 Vegetable room 20 Ice making apparatus 21 Ice tray 21a edge part 22 Ice making pocket 22a Vertical partition wall 22b Horizontal partition wall 22c Groove portion 22d Bottom surface 24 Ice making heater 25 Cover 25a Bottom surface portion 25b Side surface portion 27 Thermistor

Claims (2)

A plurality of ice making pockets that are provided with water supplied with an opening on the upper surface, and a flexible ice tray that is rotatably arranged, a bottom surface that covers a lower portion of the ice tray, and an upper portion that extends upward from the bottom surface. A cover that is attached to the ice tray with a side surface that covers the side of the tray, and an ice making heater that is sandwiched between the bottom surface and the bottom surface of the ice tray, The ice making device is made by freezing from the upper part while heating the water by the ice making heater, and is equipped with an ice making device for rotating the ice making plate while twisting, and the ice making pocket is in contact with a predetermined region of the side part, The refrigerator, wherein the side surface portion extends to an upper part of the ice making pocket above the predetermined region, and an upper end of the side surface portion is separated from the ice making tray .   The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the side surface portion is formed to extend from the bottom surface portion to a water supply level of the ice making pocket.

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