JPH02195167A - Automatic ice making apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate ice having high transparency high purity by performing unidirectional freezing action from the surface of water toward a downward direction with chilled gas in a cooling chamber by means of adiabatic action by a adiabatic tank and the heating action of a heater from a lower face. CONSTITUTION:Chilled gas cooled by a cooler 8 is forcibly ventilated on the water surface of on ice making tray 33 though a ventilation passage 59 by a blower 9 to start cooling action. Simultaneously, the heating action of a heater 32 disposed on the bottom in an adiabatic tank 28 is started, and a metal plate 30 of the bottom face is heated. Since the outer surface of the ice making tray 33 is surrounded by a heat insulator 31 in the adiabatic tank 28, cooling action from the outer surface is suppressed, and freezing action is advanced unidirectionally from above the ice making tray 33 toward a downward direction. Thus, if freezing speed is suitably delayed, gas components dissolved in water and contained various impurities are precipitated out of an ice crystal to be discharged into a lower frozen water as the ice making is advanced. Thus, the ice sequentially generated as a time is elapsed is very enhanced in its transparency to become a ice having high purity with less impurities.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device that is installed in a refrigerator or the like and is particularly capable of automatically producing transparent ice.

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic ice making device that has been conventionally employed in some household refrigerators will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, which is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the outer box 2 and the inner box 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a wall that partitions the inside of the refrigerator body 1 vertically, and defines a freezing chamber 6 in the upper part and a refrigerating chamber 7 in the lower part.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a cooler of a refrigeration cycle provided on the back side of the freezer compartment 6, and 9 is a blower for forcing the cold air cooled by the cooler 8 into the freezer compartment 6 and the refrigerator compartment T.

Next, 10 is an automatic ice maker provided in the freezer compartment e,
A drive device 11 that includes a motor, a group of reduction gears (not shown), etc., an ice tray 13 that has a support shaft 12 connected and fixed to its center;
It is composed of a frame 14 and the like for pivotally supporting the ice tray 12 on the drive device 11. Here, the ice tray 13
is composed of a plurality of small sections 13a and a communication groove 13b that allows the small sections 13a to communicate with each other. Note that 15 is a stopper provided on a part of the outer shell of the drive device 11 in order to distort and deform the ice tray 13 to remove ice;
is a backing plate attached to the ice tray 13 so as to come into contact with the stopper 16. or.

17 is an ice storage box provided below the automatic ice maker 10.

18 is a water tank for storing water for ice making;
It is detachably provided in one section of the refrigerator compartment 7. Also 19
is a water supply port of the water supply tank 8, which is opened and closed by a valve 2o. 21 is a water storage tray provided below the water supply port 19 of the water supply tank 18, and when the water supply tank 18 is set with the water supply port 19 facing downward, the valve 2o is pushed up and the water supply port 19 is opened. It is configured so that Further, 22 is a water supply pump for pumping water received in the water storage tray 21, and 23 is a water supply pump 2.
This is a water supply pipe connected to the ice making machine 2 and arranged so that its outlet faces the ice making tray 13 of the automatic ice making machine 10.

In this configuration, when the water supply tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 2o is pushed up, the water supply port 19 is opened, and the water storage tray 21 is filled with water. After that, the filled water is transferred to the water supply pump 22
The water is pumped up and poured into the ice tray 13 via the water supply pipe 23.

In this way, a predetermined amount of water is poured into the ice cube tray 13 into the freezer compartment θ.
The cooling effect within the container causes it to freeze, producing ice. When ice making is finished, the ice making tray 13 rotates in reverse around the support shaft 12 due to the rotational action of the drive device 11, and the stopper 15 comes into contact with the backing plate 16, causing the ice making tray 13 to be distorted and deformed. The ice within 13 is released. Further, the ice that has been released falls into the ice storage box 17 and is stored, and the ice tray 13 whose ice removal action has been completed is returned to the drive device 11.
11 returns to the original state.

Thereafter, this action is repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up, thereby automatically making ice and storing water.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with such an ice making method, the water in the ice tray 13 freezes when ice is produced.

Gas components, soluble salts, and insoluble impurities dissolved in the water move toward the center of the ice from the contact surface between the ice cube tray 13 and water and the contact surface between cold air and water. As a result, the ice becomes cloudy and opaque in the center, and the purity is already low and the taste is poor.The problem is that the ice is not sensually suitable for use in beverages such as whisky. was there.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an automatic ice making device that can produce highly transparent and highly pure ice.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, an automatic ice making device such as a refrigerator according to the present invention is provided in a heat insulating tank provided in one section of the cooling chamber, the top surface of which is open, and a heater provided at the bottom of the inner surface. A driving device is provided for superposing ice-making trays in which a plurality of small sections are connected through a series of communication grooves, and for rotating the ice-making trays and a draining tray arranged in parallel about their respective support shafts. A drainage tray and a drain pipe connected to it are installed below the draining tray, and a water supply tank, a water storage tray for receiving this water, and a water supply pump are installed outside the cooling chamber, and the base point of a series of communication grooves in the ice tray The structure is such that the water supply pipes are led to the top of the small section.

According to the above-described configuration, when the water in the water supply tank passes through the water storage tray, passes through the water supply pipe, and starts being supplied into the small section of the ice tray that is the base point of the series of communication grooves, the water starts to flow. When a predetermined amount of water is finally supplied by sequentially filling each compartment of the car through the communication groove, the cold air in the cooling chamber is unidirectionally directed downward from the ice surface due to the insulation effect of the insulation tank and the heating effect of the heater from the bottom. The freezing action takes place, and ice crystals are formed while gaseous components and impurities in the water are discharged into the water below. Next, when the drive device was activated when the ice reached an appropriate thickness, the ice tray rotated and reversed to remove the ice, causing the ice to fall onto the draining tray, increasing the concentration of gas components and impurities. The unfrozen water is separated, drained and drained through the lower drain pan and drain pipe. Next, when the draining tray loaded with ice is rotated and reversed by the driving device, highly transparent and pure ice falls into the ice storage box and is stored.

Embodiment Hereinafter, an automatic ice making apparatus such as a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

Incidentally, the same components as those in the prior art are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a partition wall that houses a heat insulating material 2ε inside, and defines a freezing compartment 26 in the upper part and a refrigerating compartment 27 in the lower part. 2
Reference numeral 8 denotes a concave-shaped heat insulating tank with an open top surface, which is placed on the partition wall 24, and includes an outer frame 29 made of resin, a metal plate 30 (for example, an aluminum plate) placed on the bottom of the concave portion, and the outer frame 2.
9. A heat insulating material 31 surrounded by a metal plate 3°, and the metal plate 3
The heater 32 is thermally conductively fixed to the back surface of the 0. Reference numeral 33 denotes an ice tray whose outer shape is formed so as to overlap with the inner surface of the heat insulating tank 28, and includes a plurality of small sections 34, a partition frame 36 that partitions the small sections 34, and a small ice tray formed on the partition frame 35 to serve as a reference point. It is composed of a communication groove 36 that connects the small sections 34 in series from the section 34a. 3
7 is a lattice-shaped draining tray arranged in parallel with the ice tray 33;
A first support shaft 38 is connected and fixed to one end of the ice tray 33, and a second support shaft 39 is connected and fixed to one end of the draining tray 37. 40 is the first support shaft 38 and the second support shaft 3
This is a driving device that rotates the ice making tray 33 and the draining tray 37 by rotating the ice tray 9, and includes a motor, a group of reduction gears, etc. (not shown) inside. 41 connects the ice tray 33 and draining tray 3 to the first support shaft 38 to the drive device 40.
, is a frame for pivotally supporting via a second support shaft 39. Reference numerals 42 and 43 are stoppers provided on a part of the outer shell of the drive device 4o, and 44 and 45 are stoppers provided on a part of the outer shell of the drive device 4o.
And when the draining plate 37 is inverted, the stoppers 42° 43
These plates are attached to the ice making tray 33 and the draining tray 37, respectively, so as to be in contact with the ice tray 33 and the draining tray 37. Next, 46 is the draining plate 37
A drain plate 47 provided below is a drain pipe connected to the drain plate 46, and heaters 48 and 49 are respectively disposed for thermal conduction.

Further, 60 is an ice storage box provided adjacent to the drain tray 46 below the drain tray 37 when it is in an inverted position.

In fact, the drain pipe 47 passes through the heat insulating material 26 of the partition wall 24 and the heat insulating material 4 of the main body 1, and communicates with the machine room 51 provided at the bottom of the main body 1. Reference numeral 52 denotes an evaporator, which is composed of a heating plate 66 to which a high-temperature, high-pressure heating tube 64 piped from the compressor 53 of the refrigeration cycle is closely attached, and an evaporating plate 66 placed on the heating plate 56. . or,
57 is connected to the outlet of the drain pipe 47 and connects to the evaporating dish 66.
It is a water conduit that guides water into the interior of the building.

On the other hand, 58 is a water supply pipe through which water temporarily stored in the water storage tray 21 from the water supply tank 18 is supplied to the ice making tray 33 by the water supply pump 22. One end is connected to the water supply bond 22, and the other end is connected to the It is opened so as to face the upper surface of the small section 34a which is the base point of the series of communication grooves 36 in the ice tray 33. Further, 69 is a ventilation passage located in the freezer compartment 26 for guiding cold air to the upper surface of the ice tray 33, and 60 is a ventilation passage for detecting the temperature in the freezer compartment 26 and controlling the blower 9 and the compressor 53. This is a temperature control device that controls operation and shutdown.

In this configuration, when the water supply tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 2o is pushed up, the water supply port 19 is opened, and the water storage tray 21 is filled with water. After that, the filled water will be transferred to the water supply tank 22.
The water is pumped up by the water supply pipe 58, and water starts to be supplied to the small section 34a, which serves as the starting point for water supply to the ice tray 33. As the water supply progresses, the other subdivisions 34 are sequentially filled with water through a series of communication grooves 3e, and finally a predetermined amount of water is supplied into all the subdivisions 34 (a predetermined amount of water is injected, for example, by the motor of the water supply pump 22). (This is done by means such as specifying operating times). This state is shown in FIG. 3, where the draining tray 37 is in an inverted position away from the draining tray 46.

In this state, the blower 9 forces the cold air cooled by the cooler 8 through the ventilation path 69 onto the ice surface of the ice tray 33, thereby starting the cooling action. At the same time, the heating action of the heater 32 disposed on the bottom of the heat insulating tank 28 is started, and the metal plate 30 on the bottom is heated. Also, ice tray 33
Since the outer periphery of the ice tray 33 is surrounded by a heat insulating material 31 in the heat insulating tank 28, the cooling effect from the outer periphery is also suppressed, and the freezing effect is suppressed by the ice tray 33.
It progresses in one direction from above to below.

Therefore, if the freezing speed is appropriately slowed down (for example, s
mm/h) As ice formation progresses, gaseous components dissolved in the water and various impurities contained are precipitated outside the ice crystals and discharged into the unfrozen water below. In this way, the ice that is produced sequentially over time has extremely high transparency and is highly pure ice with few impurities. Then, as a predetermined cooling time elapses, ice of a required appropriate thickness (for example, 25 mm) is generated. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the state diagram shows a state in which highly transparent and pure ice coexists in the upper part of each small section 34 of the ice tray 33, and unfrozen water with reduced purity coexists in the lower part. It has become.

In this state, the drive device 4o is operated and the first support shaft 38 and the second support shaft 39 begin to rotate, and first the draining tray 37 is reversed and set above the draining tray 46, and then The ice making tray 33 rotates and leaves the heat insulating tank 28, and is reversed to a position close to and overlapping the draining tray 37 that was previously set. At the same time, the heater 3 in the insulation tank 28
The heating action of 2 is stopped. Then, the backing plate 44 fixed to the ice tray 33 comes into contact with the stopper 42 provided on the drive device 4o, and the drive device 4o then applies rotational force to the ice tray 33, causing the ice tray 33 to be distorted and deformed. The ice in the compartment 34 is released and falls onto a grid-shaped draining tray 37 set below. At the same time, each small section 34
Unfrozen water with a high impurity concentration of gaseous components contained in the interior also flows out and falls, but since the draining tray 37 is formed in a lattice shape and most of the through holes occupy the upper part of the draining tray 37. The ice and water are separated from each other by falling directly into the drain tray 46 instead of collecting in the water. That is, only ice with high transparency and purity is left on the draining tray 37. This state is shown in FIG. On the other hand, the unfrozen water that has fallen into the drain pan 48 is passed through the drain pipe 47 to the water conduit pipe 67 to the evaporator pan 66 of the evaporator 62 in the machine room 61.
drained inside. Thereafter, the water drained into the evaporating dish 66 is evaporated by the heating action of the heating plate 66 in close contact with the heating tube 64 through which the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas from the compressor 63 flows. In addition, the drain plate 46. In order to prevent the running water from freezing in the drain pipe 47, appropriate heating is performed by heaters 48, 49.

On the other hand, since the ice thus left has moisture attached to a portion of its surface, it is cooled and dried as it is for a suitable period of time. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6, the drive device 4o is operated again to rotate the first support shaft 38 degrees and the second support shaft 39, and first the ice tray 33 is rotated and set in the heat insulating tank 28. On the other hand, the draining tray 37 is inverted from the top of the draining tray 46 and the backing plate 4 fixed to the draining tray 37 is placed above the ice storage box 60.
6 comes into contact with a stopper 43 provided on the drive device 4o.

Then, as the drive device 40 further applies rotational force to the draining tray 37, the draining tray 37 is distorted and deformed, and the ice placed on the draining tray 37 is released and placed in the ice storage box 60 provided below. falls and is stored as ice. This state is shown in FIG.

In this way, after the water supply tank 18 is set by the user, these series of steps are automatically repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up.

As a result, a large amount of highly transparent and highly pure ice is stored in the ice storage box 6o9, allowing the user to create highly sensually excellent ice for eating and drinking without much effort. can be fully used at any time.

On the other hand, when the ice-making operation is repeated nine times and the amount of water remaining in the water supply tank 18 is low, and there is no water left in the water storage tray 21 for one ice-making operation, water is supplied from the water supply pipe 68. In this case, the grooves 13b are connected to each small section 13 as in the conventional example.
If water is made to communicate with each other, the supplied water will be evenly supplied to each subdivision 13a through the communication groove, resulting in a state where the water supply amount is insufficient in all subdivisions 13a. When a cooling effect is applied through ice-making control, unfrozen water is frozen until the end, and opaque and low-purity ice is generated in all the small sections 13a at once. In contrast, in the present invention, when the water supply pipe 58 starts supplying water to the subdivision 34a, which serves as the water supply base, the communication groove 36 is constructed as a series of one-way passages, so that the water sequentially fills the adjacent subdivisions. Even if the amount of water supplied is small and there is not enough water to fill all the subdivisions 34, there is a possibility that the water supply will end with one subdivision 34 running out of water. However, all the subdivisions 34 on the upstream side are full of water. For this reason, when a cooling effect is applied through prescribed ice-making control, only the ice in one small section 34 may become opaque, and all other ice is highly transparent and pure. - It is an extremely simple means that does not require a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of the amount of water required for batch ice making, and can be put to practical use.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the automatic ice making apparatus of the present invention provides the following effects.

(1) As the gaseous components discharged as ice progresses, the unfrozen water containing impurities is separated, and a large amount of highly transparent and pure ice is automatically stored in the ice storage box. Therefore, the user can use ice, which is highly sensually superior, for drinking and drinking at any time.

(2) Since the small sections of the ice tray are connected in a one-way manner through a series of communication grooves, the supplied water sequentially fills the adjacent small sections, resulting in a small amount of water remaining in the water tank. Even if there is a shortage of water, the ice in one small section may stochastically lose its transparency, but ice with high transparency and purity can be provided in all cases, and it is an extremely simple method that does not require any special means of detecting the amount of water. You can improve your sexuality.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts of an automatic ice-making device such as a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with the automatic ice-making device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. A cross-sectional view showing the state in which water is supplied to the automatic ice making device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the automatic ice making device shown in Fig.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where ice making has progressed from the state shown in Figure 4, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where ice has been released and water has separated from the state shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the ice storage box is in the state shown in Figure 6. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice-making device showing a conventional example, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts of the automatic ice-making device shown in FIG. 7. . 18...Water tank, 21.Old...Water storage tray, 2
2...Water pump, 26...Freezing room (
Cooling room) 28... Insulation tank, 32... Heater, 33... Ice tray, 34... Small section, 34a... Base point A small plot, 36...
...Communication groove, 37...Draining plate, 38. Old...
First support shaft, 39...Second support shaft, 40.
Old...drive device, 46...drain tray, 47...group/drain pipe, 6o...ice storage box, 58...
Water pipe. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano and one other name
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Claims (1)

[Claims] A heat insulating tank with an open top surface provided in one section of the cooling chamber, a heater disposed around the bottom of the inner surface of the heat insulating layer, and a plurality of small compartments formed in a series by overlapping the inner surface from the opening of the heat insulating layer. An ice tray communicated by a communication groove, a first support shaft connected and fixed to one end of the ice tray, a draining tray installed in parallel with the ice tray, and a second support connected and fixed to one end of the draining tray. axis and
a drive device that rotates the ice tray about the first support shaft and rotates the draining tray about the second support shaft; a drain tray provided below the draining tray; A drain pipe connected to a drain tray, an ice storage box provided adjacent to the drain tray, a water tank provided outside the cooling chamber, a water storage tray for storing water from the water tank, and inside the water storage tray. an automatic ice-making device comprising: a water supply pump for pumping up water; and a water supply pipe connected to the water pump and led to the top surface of a small section of the ice-making tray, which is the base point of the series of communication grooves.