JP7047473B2 - Automatic ice maker, refrigerator, and dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic ice maker, a refrigerator, and a dispenser.

Automatic ice making equipment is widely used. A typical automatic ice making device includes a cooling mechanism or a cooling air passage, a water supply mechanism, an ice tray, an ice removal mechanism, and an ice storage unit. If the ice tray is made of a resin material, the ice tray can be rotated and twisted to remove ice. On the other hand, in order to shorten the ice making time, an ice tray using a metal material may be used. Since the metal ice tray is not easily deformed, the ice tray cannot be twisted to remove ice. In Patent Document 1 below, the surface of ice is melted by heating the ice tray with a heater in contact with the side surface or the back surface of the ice tray, the ice is peeled off from the ice tray, and the ejector is rotated to scrape the ice. Therefore, a device for sending ice to the ice storage section has been proposed.

Japanese Patent No. 4554992

However, in the method of heating the ice tray with a heater at the time of ice removal, not only the temperature of the ice tray but also the temperature of the surroundings rises, the temperature inside the refrigerator rises, and the cooling efficiency inside the refrigerator deteriorates. Further, if the adhesion between the ice tray and the heater is not good, the ice tray cannot be heated efficiently.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is an automatic ice making capable of suppressing a temperature rise around the ice tray and efficiently heating the ice tray at the time of ice removal. It is intended to provide equipment, refrigerators, and dispensers.

The automatic ice making apparatus according to the present invention has an ice tray having a first surface and a second surface forming a recess in contact with the first liquid, and a second surface of the ice tray after the first liquid becomes ice. It is provided with an ice-removing means that enables the ice to be separated from the ice tray by contacting the second liquid.
Further, the refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned automatic ice making device.
Further, the dispenser according to the present invention includes the automatic ice making device and a discharge port capable of discharging ice made by the automatic ice making device.

The automatic ice making device according to the present invention has an ice tray having a first surface and a second surface forming a recess in contact with the first liquid, and a second surface of the ice tray after the first liquid becomes ice. The ice-removing means is provided with an ice-removing means that enables the ice to be separated from the ice tray by contacting the second liquid, so that at least a part of the second surface of the ice-making tray is immersed in the second liquid. Is equipped with a tank capable of storing the second liquid and a liquid supply device for supplying the second liquid in the tank, and the second liquid is not contained in the first stage of freezing the first liquid in the recess. An ice tray is placed in the tank, the recesses are facing up, and after the first stage, the liquid supply device is placed in the tank in the second stage where the first liquid in the recesses freezes and ice is formed. By supplying the second liquid, the second liquid comes into contact with at least a part of the second surface of the ice tray .
Further, the refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with the above-mentioned automatic ice making device.
Further, the dispenser according to the present invention includes the automatic ice making device and a discharge port capable of discharging ice made by the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator provided with an automatic ice making device and a dispenser according to the first embodiment. It is a front sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a front sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a side sectional view of the automatic ice making apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the control system of the refrigerator by Embodiment 1. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Common or corresponding elements in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals to simplify or omit duplicate descriptions.

Embodiment 1.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a refrigerator provided with an automatic ice making device and a dispenser according to the first embodiment. The refrigerator 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an automatic ice making device 2 and a dispenser 3. FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an extract of some of the components of the plurality of components included in the refrigerator 1. It should be noted that each drawing of the present application including FIG. 1 is a schematic view, and the dimensional relationship and shape of each constituent member shown in each drawing may differ from the actual ones.

The refrigerator 1 has a heat insulating box body having an open front surface, that is, a front surface, and a storage space formed inside. The heat insulating box body has a steel outer box, a resin inner box, and a heat insulating material filled in the space between the outer box and the inner box. The storage space formed inside the heat insulating box is partitioned by one or a plurality of partition members, and a plurality of storage chambers for storing food are formed. For example, the plurality of storage chambers may include a refrigerating chamber 4, a freezing chamber (not shown), and a vegetable compartment (not shown). The type, number, arrangement, and shape of the storage chambers included in the refrigerator 1 are not particularly limited.

The ice making chamber 6 is formed inside the heat insulating box. The ice tray 7 included in the automatic ice making device 2 is arranged in the ice making chamber 6. In the illustrated example, the ice making chamber 6 is arranged at the uppermost part in the refrigerating chamber 4. The periphery of the ice making chamber 6 is covered with a heat insulating material. The air in the ice making chamber 6 and the air in the refrigerating chamber 4 are separated by the heat insulating material and do not mix with each other. The ice making air passage 8 communicates with the ice making chamber 6. The arrangement of the ice making chamber 6 is not limited to the illustrated example. The ice making chamber 6 may be provided in a storage chamber other than the refrigerating chamber 4. The ice making room 6 may be provided as a room independent of any storage room.

On the back side of the refrigerator 1, a cooling mechanism (not shown) for supplying cold air to each storage chamber is provided. The cooling mechanism includes a compressor (not shown), a cooler (not shown), a blower fan (not shown), and an air passage (not shown). The refrigerator 1 includes a control device 5. The control device 5 controls the operation of each component of the refrigerator 1 including the cooling mechanism. The compressor and cooler, together with the condenser (not shown) and the expander (not shown), constitute a refrigeration cycle to generate cold air supplied to each storage chamber and ice making chamber 6. The cold air generated by the compressor and the cooler is blown into the air passage by the blower fan, and is supplied from the air passage through a damper (not shown) to each storage chamber and the ice making air passage 8.

The refrigerant pipe 9 provided in the cooling mechanism extends into the ice making chamber 6. The refrigerant pipe 9 is in contact with the ice tray 7. The refrigerant pipe 9 supplies a refrigerant for cooling the ice tray 7. The inside of the ice making chamber 6 is cooled to a temperature at which ice making and storage are possible by the cold air from the ice making air passage 8.

The air temperature in the ice making chamber 6 is maintained at a temperature lower than the air temperature in the refrigerating chamber 4. The air temperature in the ice making chamber 6 may be maintained at a temperature below the freezing point. The air temperature in the refrigerator compartment 4 may be maintained at a temperature of 0 ° C. or higher.

A water supply tank 10 is arranged inside the refrigerating chamber 4. Water used for ice making or cold water for drinking is stored in the water supply tank 10. The water supply device 11 includes a water supply path connecting the water supply tank 10 and the automatic ice making device 2, and a water supply pump (not shown). The water supply device 11 supplies water from the water supply tank 10 to the automatic ice making device 2 by operating the water supply pump.

The refrigerator 1 may include a temperature adjusting unit 12 for adjusting the temperature of water supplied from the water supply tank 10 to the automatic ice making device 2 by the water supply device 11. The temperature adjusting unit 12 is provided in the middle of the water supply path of the water supply device 11. The temperature adjusting unit 12 may include a heater (not shown) capable of heating water passing through the water supply path. A temperature adjusting unit 12 may be provided in the machine room in which a part of the cooling mechanism is housed so that the water passing through the water supply path can be heated by the heat in the machine room. For example, the temperature control unit 12 may be configured to heat the water passing through the water supply path by the heat of at least one of the compressor and the condenser. At least one of the heater and the water supply pump is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) that detects the temperature of the water that has passed through the temperature adjusting unit 12 so that the temperature of the water supplied to the automatic ice making device 2 becomes equal to the target temperature. The operation of the control device 5 may be controlled by the control device 5.

The place where the water supply tank 10 is arranged is not limited to the inside of the refrigerating room 4 or another storage room. The water supply tank 10 may be arranged in a space that is not cooled by the cooling mechanism of the refrigerator 1.

An operation panel 14 is provided on the outer surface of the door 13 included in the refrigerator 1. The operation panel 14 includes an operation unit and a display unit. The operation unit may include, for example, an operation switch capable of setting the cold storage temperature of each storage room, the operation mode of the refrigerator 1, and the like. The display unit may include a display that displays various information such as the temperature of each storage room. Further, the operation panel 14 may be provided with a touch panel that also serves as an operation unit and a display unit.

Further, the discharge port 15 of the dispenser 3 is provided on the door 13. The dispenser 3 is configured to be able to discharge the ice produced by the automatic ice making device 2 from the discharge port 15. An ice transport path 16 is formed inside the door 13. The ice transport path 16 is a passage for transporting ice from the ice making chamber 6 to the discharge port 15. An opening / closing lid 17 is provided at a portion where the ice transport path 16 and the discharge port 15 communicate with each other. When the opening / closing lid 17 is closed, it is possible to block between the discharge port 15 leading to the outside of the refrigerator 1 and the ice transport path 16 leading to the inside of the refrigerator 1.

A dispenser switch 18 is provided near the discharge port 15. When the dispenser switch 18 is pressed with a container such as a cup held by the user, the opening / closing lid 17 is opened, and the ice in the ice making chamber 6 is discharged from the discharge port 15 through the ice transport path 16. The ice may be configured to move by gravity in the ice transport path 16.

The dispenser 3 may be capable of providing cold drinking water in addition to ice. In this case, the dispenser 3 provides, for example, the water in the water supply tank 10 as cold drinking water. When providing the water in the water supply tank 10 as cold drinking water, the dispenser 3 provides the water, for example, via an alternative route for cold drinking water (not shown) rather than the ice transport path 16. The opening / closing lid 17 does not have to be opened when cold drinking water is supplied.

The water supply to the automatic ice making device 2 is not limited to the water supply tank 10, and tap water may be supplied by directly connecting the water supply to the refrigerator 1. Similarly, cold drinking water may be used by supplying tap water from tap water directly connected to the refrigerator 1.

Next, the automatic ice making apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment will be further described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 are front sectional views of the automatic ice making apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment, respectively. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 are side sectional views of the automatic ice making apparatus 2 according to the first embodiment, respectively.

In the following description, the liquid to be frozen by the automatic ice making device 2 is referred to as a "first liquid". In the present embodiment, the water supplied from the water supply tank 10 corresponds to the first liquid. The first liquid may be a liquid other than water. For example, the first liquid may be tea, juice, or soup stock.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ice tray 7 has at least one recess 21 in contact with the first liquid. The ice tray 7 has a first surface 19 and a second surface 20. The first surface 19 is a surface forming the recess 21. The first surface 19 is in contact with the first liquid. The second surface 20 is a surface that does not come into contact with the first liquid. When the first surface 19 is the front surface, the second surface 20 in the present embodiment corresponds to the back surface.

The automatic ice making device 2 of the present embodiment freezes the first liquid in the recess 21 to make cube ice 22. The cube ice 22 is ice having a cube-like shape or a polyhedral shape. The shape of the ice formed by the automatic ice making device 2, that is, the shape of the concave portion 21 is not limited to a cube shape or a polyhedron shape, and is, for example, a star shape, a heart shape, a crescent shape, a spherical shape, a hemispherical shape, a columnar shape, or a semicircular shape. It may be columnar or the like.

As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic ice making device 2 includes a water tank 23, an ice bank 24, and a dish rotating device 25. At least a part of the ice tray 7 is located inside the water tank 23. The ice bank 24 has a space for storing the cube ice 22 made by the automatic ice making device 2. The ice bank 24 is located next to the water tank 23. The plate rotating device 25 includes a rotating shaft 26 connected to the ice tray 7 and an actuator (not shown) that inverts the ice tray 7 upside down by rotating the rotating shaft 26. The dish rotating device 25 rotates the ice tray 7 when the cube ice 22 is removed from the ice tray 7. When the plate rotating device 25 rotates the ice tray 7, the ice tray 7 moves onto the ice bank 24 and is in an upside down posture.

Since the ice-making cube ice 22 sticks to the ice-making dish 7, it is difficult to separate the cube ice 22 from the ice-making dish 7 simply by inverting the ice-making dish 7. Therefore, the automatic ice making device 2 of the present embodiment includes an ice removing means that enables the cube ice 22 to be separated from the ice tray 7 before the dish rotating device 25 rotates the ice tray 7. This ice removal means brings the second liquid into contact with at least a part of the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 after the first liquid freezes into cube ice 22. The heat of the second liquid in contact with the second surface 20 is thermally conducted to the first surface 19. The heat causes the surface of the cube ice 22 in contact with the first surface 19 to melt at least partially. As a result, when the dish rotating device 25 subsequently inverts the ice tray 7, the cube ice 22 is easily separated from the ice tray 7.

The present embodiment has the following advantages as compared with the device that removes ice by heating with a heater.
-It is possible to suppress an increase in the temperature around the ice tray 7, that is, the temperature inside the ice tray 6.
-Since the contact area between the second liquid as a heat source and the ice tray 7 can be easily increased and there is no possibility that a small gap is formed on the contact surface, the ice tray 7 can be efficiently heated. Therefore, the ice removal time can be shortened.
-Since the ice tray 7 is heated by the second liquid having a temperature lower than that of the heater, it is possible to reliably prevent the ice tray 7 from being heated too much and melting the cube ice 22 too much.

As shown in FIG. 2, two refrigerant pipes 9 are in contact with the ice tray 7 from both sides. The longitudinal direction of the refrigerant pipe 9 is parallel to the rotation shaft 26.

The ice tray 7 is preferably made of metal. Since the metal ice tray 7 has a higher thermal conductivity than the resin ice tray 7, it is possible to shorten the time required for the first liquid to freeze to become cube ice 22, that is, the ice making time. Further, since the speed at which the heat of the second liquid in contact with the second surface 20 is conducted to the first surface 19 becomes faster, the ice removal time can be further shortened. The heat of the second liquid in contact with the second surface 20 can be quickly transferred to the entire inner wall surface of the recess 21. Further, when ice is made by the refrigerant pipe 9, the entire inner wall surface of the recess 21 can be cooled more efficiently by the refrigerant pipe 9, so that the ice making time can be shortened.

As a modification, the automatic ice making device 2 may be configured not to include the refrigerant pipe 9 and to freeze the first liquid of the ice making dish 7 only by the cold air from the ice making air passage 8.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ice tray 7 has a plurality of recesses 21 arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the refrigerant pipe 9 and the rotating shaft 26. As a modification, the ice tray 7 may have a configuration in which a plurality of recesses 21 are arranged in a matrix.

The water tank 23 can store the second liquid. When the second liquid is stored in the water tank 23, at least a part of the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 is immersed in the second liquid stored in the water tank 23.

2 to 9 show the operation of the automatic ice making device 2 according to the first embodiment in four stages. 2 and 3 show the first stage. 4 and 5 show the second stage after the first stage. 6 and 7 show the third stage after the second stage. 8 and 9 show the fourth stage after the third stage.

The first step shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 represents a state in which the first liquid in the recess 21 freezes to form cube ice 22, that is, a state in which ice making of cube ice 22 is completed. In the process of freezing the first liquid in the recess 21, the water tank 23 does not contain the second liquid, and the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 is not in contact with the second liquid.

In the second step shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, in order to make the cube ice 22 separable from the ice tray 7, a second liquid is put in the water tank 23, and the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 is second. It represents the state of being in contact with the liquid.

As shown in FIG. 5, the water supply inlet 27 is connected to the water storage tank 23. The water supply inlet 27 corresponds to the end of the water supply path of the water supply device 11. The water sent from the water supply tank 10 to the automatic ice making device 2 by the water supply device 11 first flows into the water storage tank 23 through the water supply inlet 27. In the present embodiment, the water supplied from the water supply tank 10 by the water supply device 11 in this way is used as the second liquid. The second liquid may be a liquid other than water. For example, the second liquid may be tea, juice, or soup stock, and such a liquid may be stored in the water supply tank 10.

The ice removal means in the present embodiment includes a water storage tank 23 and a water supply device 11 corresponding to a liquid supply device that supplies a second liquid into the water storage tank 23. As a result, the second liquid can be more reliably brought into contact with the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 at the time of ice removal. When the second liquid in the water tank 23 comes into contact with the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7, the second liquid in the water tank 23 is cooled by the ice tray 7 and the temperature drops. The second liquid whose temperature has dropped moves to the bottom in the water tank 23 as the specific gravity increases. As a result, natural convection is generated in the water storage tank 23, and the second liquid whose temperature has not yet dropped comes into contact with the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7. In this way, the natural convection in the water storage tank 23 makes it possible to heat the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 more efficiently.

When supplying the second liquid into the water tank 23, the water supply device 11 sets the second liquid so that the liquid level 28 of the second liquid in the water tank 23 is lower than the lower end of the refrigerant pipe 9. Supply. That is, the water supply device 11 supplies the second liquid so that the second liquid does not come into contact with the refrigerant pipe 9. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the second liquid from coming into contact with the refrigerant pipe 9 and freezing. A liquid level sensor for detecting the height of the liquid level 28 in the water storage tank 23 is provided, and the water supply device 11 is provided so that the detected height of the liquid level 28 does not exceed the position of the lower end of the refrigerant pipe 9. The control device 5 may control the supply amount of the second liquid according to the above. Further, a predetermined amount of the second liquid so that the liquid level 28 does not come into contact with the refrigerant pipe 9 is set in advance, and the control device 5 sets the supply amount of the second liquid by the water supply device 11 to be equal to the predetermined amount. You may control it.

In the second step described above, the ice tray 7 is heated by the second liquid, so that the surface of the cube ice 22 in contact with the first surface 19 is at least partially melted, and the cube ice 22 is the ice tray 7. It becomes separable from.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, when the second liquid is stored in the water tank 23, the height of the liquid level 28 of the second liquid in the water tank 23 is the recess of the ice tray 7. It is located above the height 31 of the deepest part of 21. As a result, the contact area between the second surface 20 of the ice tray 7 and the second liquid can be made larger, so that the ice removal time can be further shortened.

As shown in FIG. 5, the automatic ice making device 2 of the present embodiment includes a liquid transfer device 29. The liquid transfer device 29 includes a suction port 29a, a discharge port 29b, and a transfer path 29c. The suction port 29a is connected to the water storage tank 23. The discharge port 29b is located above the ice tray 7 when the ice tray 7 is not inverted, that is, when the first liquid can be stored in the recess 21. The discharge port 29b is positioned so as not to come into contact with the ice tray 7 when the ice tray 7 is rotated by the dish rotating device 25. The transfer path 29c is a flow path connecting the suction port 29a and the discharge port 29b. The transfer path 29c includes a pump (not shown) that sends the liquid sucked from the suction port 29a to the discharge port 29b. When the liquid transfer device 29 is operated, the liquid in the water storage tank 23 is sucked from the suction port 29a and discharged from the discharge port 29b.

The third stage shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 represents a state in which the ice tray 7 is inverted by the dish rotating device 25. Since the cube ice 22 can be separated from the ice tray 7 in the second stage, when the ice tray 7 is inverted, the cube ice 22 is separated from the ice tray 7 and falls into the ice bank 24. As a result, the cube ice 22 is removed from the ice tray 7, and the recess 21 is emptied.

The fourth step shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 represents a state in which the ice tray 7 is returned to its original position by the dish rotating device 25. In this fourth stage, the liquid transfer device 29 is operated. As a result, the liquid in the water storage tank 23, that is, the second liquid after contacting the second surface 20, is sucked from the suction port 29a and discharged from the discharge port 29b through the transfer path 29c. The liquid discharged from the discharge port 29b enters one recess 21 of the ice tray 7. The wall separating the recess 21 and the recess 21 is formed with a notch or a hole (not shown). The liquid that has entered one recess 21 from the discharge port 29b sequentially flows into the adjacent recess 21 through the notch or hole, and all the recesses 21 of the ice tray 7 are filled with the liquid. In this way, the liquid filled in the recess 21 is used as the first liquid to be frozen in the next ice making operation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the second liquid after contacting the second surface 20 is used as the first liquid in the next ice making operation. That is, after the cube ice 22 is removed from the ice tray 7, the liquid transfer device 29 transfers the second liquid in contact with the second surface 20 to the recess 21 as the first liquid. The second liquid in contact with the second surface 20 is cooled by the ice tray 7, so that the temperature is low. In the next ice making operation, the low temperature liquid is frozen to form cube ice 22, so that the ice making time can be shortened.

8 and 9 show a state in which the liquid transfer device 29 is transferring the liquid. In this state, the position of the liquid level 28 in the water storage tank 23 gradually decreases, and the position of the liquid level 30 in the recess 21 gradually increases.

The total amount of the first liquid entering the ice tray 7 and the amount of the second liquid stored in the water tank 23 may be substantially equal to each other. As a result, the water storage tank 23 is just emptied when the liquid transfer device 29 transfers the liquid and each recess 21 of the ice tray 7 is filled with the liquid. Therefore, the cooled second liquid in the water storage tank 23 can be used as the first liquid without waste. The above-mentioned "substantially equal" means that the ratio of the total amount of the first liquid contained in the ice tray 7 to the amount of the second liquid stored in the water tank 23 is in the range of 90% to 110%. The case shall be included.

When the second liquid remains in the water tank 23 after each recess 21 of the ice tray 7 is filled with the liquid by the liquid transfer device 29, the second liquid remains in the water tank 23 from the discharge port (not shown) formed at the bottom of the water tank 23. The remaining second liquid may be discharged to the outside of the water tank 23.

When the total amount of the first liquid entering the ice tray 7 is less than the amount of the second liquid stored in the water tank 23, water is added to the water tank 23 by the water supply device 11 and the added water is added. It may be transferred to the recess 21 of the ice tray 7 by the liquid transfer device 29. As a result, each recess 21 of the ice tray 7 can be filled with the first liquid.

The ice-removing means in the present embodiment includes a water supply tank 10, a water supply device 11 corresponding to a liquid supply device that supplies the liquid taken out from the water supply tank 10 as a second liquid, and a second water supply device 11 supplied by the water supply device 11. A temperature adjusting unit 12 for adjusting the temperature of the liquid is provided. In the present embodiment, the temperature of the second liquid supplied to the automatic ice making device 2 is adjusted by the temperature adjusting unit 12, so that the ice removal time can be shortened more reliably. When the temperature of the second liquid supplied to the automatic ice making device 2 is adjusted by the temperature adjusting unit 12, the control device 5 sets the temperature of the second liquid to, for example, a temperature in the range of 10 ° C to 20 ° C. May be adjusted to. By adjusting to such a temperature, the ice removal time can be shortened more reliably.

The temperature of the liquid transferred from the water tank 23 to the recess 21 of the ice tray 7 by the liquid transfer device 29 after the ice is removed may be, for example, a temperature in the range of 0 ° C to 3 ° C. By adjusting to such a temperature, the ice making time can be shortened more reliably.

The refrigerator 1 or the dispenser 3 may include a feeding mechanism (not shown) for feeding the cube ice 22 stored in the ice bank 24 to the ice transport path 16. When the dispenser switch 18 is pressed, the control device 5 may operate the feeding mechanism to feed the cube ice 22 in the ice bank 24 to the ice transport path 16. An opening / closing lid (not shown) may be provided at the connection portion between the ice bank 24 and the ice transport path 16 in place of or in addition to the feeding mechanism. The control device 5 may open the open / close lid when the dispenser switch 18 is pressed. When the opening / closing lid is opened, the cube ice 22 in the ice bank 24 may be configured to be sent to the ice transport path 16 by gravity.

The refrigerator 1 or the dispenser 3 may include an ice crusher (not shown) that crushes the cube ice 22 to generate crushed ice. The refrigerator 1 or the dispenser 3 may be configured to be able to switch between an operation of supplying the cube ice 22 as it is to the discharge port 15 and an operation of supplying the crushed ice obtained by crushing the cube ice 22 to the discharge port 15. As a result, the cube ice 22 and the crushed ice can be selectively discharged from the discharge port 15 according to the operation of the user.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control system of the refrigerator 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 10, some components such as a cooling mechanism included in the refrigerator 1 are not shown. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 5 is electrically connected to the water supply device 11, the temperature control unit 12, the operation panel 14, the dispenser switch 18, the opening / closing lid 17, the dish rotating device 25, and the liquid transfer device 29, respectively. ing.

The control device 5 may be configured as follows. Each function of the control device 5 may be realized by a processing circuit. The processing circuit of the control device 5 may include at least one processor 5a and at least one memory 5b. When the processing circuit includes at least one processor 5a and at least one memory 5b, each function of the control device 5 may be realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. At least one of the software and firmware may be written as a program. At least one of the software and firmware may be stored in at least one memory 5b. At least one processor 5a may realize each function of the control device 5 by reading and executing a program stored in at least one memory 5b. At least one memory 5b may include a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, and the like. The processing circuit of the control device 5 may include at least one dedicated hardware. When the processing circuit comprises at least one dedicated hardware, the processing circuit may be, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-). The Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof may be used. The functions of each part of the control device 5 may be realized by the processing circuit. Further, the functions of each part of the control device 5 may be collectively realized by the processing circuit. For each function of the control device 5, a part may be realized by the dedicated hardware, and the other part may be realized by software or firmware. The processing circuit may realize each function of the control device 5 by hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the operation is controlled by a single control device 5, and the operation may be controlled by the cooperation of a plurality of control devices.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the second liquid is brought into contact with the second surface 20 corresponding to the back surface side of the recess 21 has been described, but the position of the second surface in which the second liquid is brought into contact is limited to this example. It's not a thing. For example, it may be as follows. As shown in FIG. 3, the ice tray 7 has a second surface 32. The second surface 32 corresponds to the upper end surface of the wall 33 that separates the recess 21 and the recess 21. At the time of ice removal, an ice removal jig (not shown) is brought into close contact with the ice tray 7. This ice removal jig has an opening in close contact with the second surface 32, and the second liquid can be stored inside the opening. By using such an ice removal jig, the second liquid can be brought into contact with the second surface 32 of the ice tray 7.

In the above-described embodiment, the automatic ice making device 2 for making ice by freezing the first liquid stored in the concave portion 21 with the concave portion 21 of the ice making dish 7 facing upward has been described as an example, but the ice making in the present invention has been described. The method is not limited to such a method. For example, it can be applied to a method of making ice while spraying the first liquid sprayed upward from the bottom toward the inside of the recess with the recess of the ice tray facing downward.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the dispenser 3 is added to the refrigerator 1 provided with the storage chamber for storing food has been described, but the dispenser of the present invention is an independent dedicated dispenser which is not attached to the refrigerator. Is also applicable.

1 Refrigerator, 2 Automatic ice making device, 3 Dispenser, 4 Refrigerator room, 5 Control device, 5a processor, 5b memory, 6 Ice making room, 7 Ice tray, 8 Ice making air passage, 9 Refrigerator pipe, 10 Water supply tank, 11 Water supply device, 12 Temperature control unit, 13 Door, 14 Operation panel, 15 Discharge port, 16 Ice transport path, 17 Open / close lid, 17 Open / close lid, 18 Dispenser switch, 19 1st surface, 20 2nd surface, 21 Concave, 22 Cube ice, 23 water storage tank, 24 ice bank, 25 dish rotating device, 26 rotating shaft, 27 water supply inlet, 28 liquid level, 29 liquid transfer device, 29a suction port, 29b discharge port, 29c transfer path, 30 liquid level, 32 second surface , 33 wall

Claims (10)

An ice tray having a first surface and a second surface forming a recess in contact with the first liquid,
An automatic ice making device including an ice removing means that enables the ice to be separated from the ice tray by bringing the second liquid into contact with the second surface of the ice tray after the first liquid has become ice . There,
The ice removing means supplies a tank capable of storing the second liquid so that at least a part of the second surface of the ice tray is immersed in the second liquid, and supplies the second liquid into the tank. Equipped with a liquid supply device,
In the first step of freezing the first liquid in the recess, the ice tray is placed in the tank that does not contain the second liquid, and the recess faces upward.
After the first step, in the second step where the first liquid in the recess freezes and the ice is generated, the liquid supply device supplies the second liquid into the tank to make the ice. An automatic ice making device in which the second liquid comes into contact with at least a part of the second surface of the dish. The automatic ice making device according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid transfer device for transferring the second liquid in contact with the second surface to the recess as the first liquid after the ice is removed from the ice tray. The automatic according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a dish rotating device for removing the ice from the ice tray by rotating the ice tray after the second liquid comes into contact with the second surface of the ice tray. Ice making equipment. A refrigerant pipe that comes into contact with the ice tray is provided.
Any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the liquid supply device supplies the second liquid so that the liquid level of the second liquid in the tank is lower than the lower end of the refrigerant pipe. The automatic ice making device described in the section . The automatic ice making apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ratio of the total amount of the first liquid entering the ice tray to the amount of the second liquid stored in the tank is in the range of 90% to 110% . Claimed from claim 1 , when the second liquid is stored in the tank, the height of the liquid level of the second liquid in the tank is higher than the height of the deepest part of the recess. Item 5. The automatic ice making device according to any one of items 5. The ice removing means adjusts the temperature of a tank for storing a liquid, a liquid supply device for supplying the liquid taken out from the tank as the second liquid, and the second liquid supplied by the liquid supply device. The automatic ice making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a temperature control unit. The automatic ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the ice tray is made of metal. A refrigerator provided with the automatic ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The automatic ice making apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
A dispenser provided with a discharge port capable of discharging ice made by the automatic ice making device.

Images