JPH03267666A - Refrigerator with automatic icemaker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To securely prevent ice from dropping out of an ice storage vessel by providing a locking mechanism having an operating member to be operated by an ice separating operation and a lock member to be operated by the member to a position to stop the removal of the vessel. CONSTITUTION:When ice made by an automatic ice maker 12 is separated, a driver 19 rotates an ice making tray 17. The rotation of the tray is stopped by a stopper, the driver 19 is continuously rotated in this state, the tray 17 is twisted, and the made ice 18 is separated. After the ice is separated, the tray 17 is returned by the driver 19 of the maker 12. When the tray 17 is returned, the cam 28 of a locking mechanism 35 is returned, a rod 30 is moved to be returned to a left side by the tension of a spring 31, removed from the hole 32 of a piece 33 to be locked to allow removal of a door 9 and an ice storage vessel 20. Thus, it can more effectively prevent the ice separated from the maker 12 from dropping out of the vessel 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Field of Application) The present invention relates to a refrigerator with an automatic ice-making device that is equipped with a pull-out ice storage container.

(Prior Art) Refrigerators have conventionally been equipped with automatic ice-making devices, and some of them have been provided.

In this type of ice making device, ice is automatically made and removed by the automatic ice making device, and the removed ice is generally stored in an ice storage located on the bottom surface of the ice storage chamber in the lower part of the ice making device. It is designed to be received and stored in a container.

However, in this case, in order to remove the ice stored in the ice storage container, it is necessary to reach into the ice storage chamber in which the ice storage container is located, and there is a problem that it is difficult to remove the ice. Ta.

Therefore, the applicant has devised the idea of connecting the above-mentioned ice storage container to a pull-out type door that opens and closes the opening facing the outside of the ice storage compartment, so that the ice storage container can be pulled out of the ice storage compartment together with the door. .

According to this, the ice stored in the ice storage container can be easily removed since the ice storage container can be pulled out of the ice storage chamber together with the door, that is, outside the ice storage chamber.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above-mentioned device, when the automatic ice making device starts the ice removal operation in the state when the ice storage container is pulled out, the removed ice is removed from the ice storage container. In particular, when the ice storage container is pulled out, the ice that falls outside the ice storage container gets caught between the ice storage container and the inner surface of the ice storage chamber when the ice storage container is pushed back in, and the ice falls out of the ice storage container. This caused the container to become unable to be returned to its stored state.

As a countermeasure to this problem, it is generally considered that the operation of the automatic ice making device is stopped when the ice storage container is pulled out by detecting the opening of the door with a door switch.

However, when pulling out the ice storage container,
If the automatic ice making device is in the final stage of ice removal operation, even if the automatic ice making device stops operating, ice removal will continue as is, resulting in ,
There was a high risk that the detached ice would fall outside the ice storage container.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and therefore, its purpose is to provide an ice storage container that can be detached from an automatic ice making device in an ice storage container that is provided so as to be pulled out of the ice storage chamber together with the ice storage door. To provide an excellent refrigerator with an automatic ice making device that can more reliably prevent ice from falling outside an ice storage container.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) A refrigerator with an automatic ice making device of the present invention includes an ice making device that automatically makes and removes ice, and stores the removed ice. The ice storage container is provided with an ice storage container that is received and stored indoors, and the ice storage container is provided so as to be pulled out of the ice storage room together with a door that opens and closes an opening facing the outside of the ice storage room,
A locking mechanism is provided, comprising an operating member that operates in accordance with the ice removal operation of the ice making device, and a locking member that is operated by the operating member and brought to a position that prevents the ice storage container from being pulled out. It has certain characteristics.

(Function) According to the above means, when the ice making device performs the ice removal operation, the lock mechanism that operates accordingly prevents the ice storage container from being pulled out.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body cabinet 1 of the refrigerator has a freezing compartment 2 formed at the top, a refrigerating compartment 3 below it, and an ice storage compartment below it. In this case, an ice making/ice storage compartment 4 and a chilled compartment 5 are formed, and a vegetable compartment 6 is formed at the bottom. Further, each room is provided with doors 7 to 11, respectively.

The ice making/ice storage chamber 4 is provided with an automatic ice making device 12. This automatic ice making device 12 is configured to supply water from a cartridge-type water supply tank 13 housed in a refrigerator compartment 3 to a water tray 14. Water is supplied into the ice making tray 17 through the pump 15 and the water supply hose 16, and ice 18 (see Fig. 4) is made in the ice making fi 1117 using the cold air in the ice making/ice storage chamber 4. After ice making, motors, gears, etc. The ice making tray 17 is rotated and twisted by a drive unit 19 housing the ice tray 17 to repeatedly detach and drop the ice 18.

At a position below the automatic ice making device 12 in the ice making/ice storage chamber 4, an ice storage container 2o is arranged to receive and store ice 18 that is detached from the automatic ice making device 12 and falls. This ice storage container 2o is made up of a rectangular box shown in detail in FIG. 5, and has a flange 21 formed on its upper peripheral edge.

On the other hand, the door 9 for the ice making/ice storage compartment 4 has a rectangular support frame 22 integrated on the back side, and rollers 23 are attached to the rear ends of both sides of this support frame 22. As shown in FIG.
is a guide roller (
(not shown), the door 9
It is provided to open and close an opening 25 (see FIG. 4) of the ice storage compartment 4 facing the outside of the machine.

Thus, the ice storage container 2o is positioned from above within the support frame 22, and the flange 21 is placed on the support frame 22, thereby removably connected to the door 9. In this connected state, the ice storage container 2o As shown in Figure 6, the door 9 and the ice making/
It is provided so as to be pulled out of the ice storage chamber 4.

The ice tray 17 of the automatic ice making device 12 is supported by the L-shaped support frame 26 of the ice making device 12 as shown in FIG.
A cam 28, which is an operating member, is attached to 7 at the rear outside the support frame 26. Alongside the cam 28, there is a rod 30, which is a locking member supported by the rear support pieces 29 and 29 of the support frame 26 so as to be movable in the left and right direction.
The spring force of the spring 31 provided therewith brings the left end into contact. A locked piece 3 is located on the other right end side of the rod 30 and has a hole 32 on the upper surface of the support frame 22 through which the other right end of the rod 30 can be inserted.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, a hole 34 into which the other right end of the rod 30 can be fitted is formed on the inner surface of the ice making/ice storage chamber 4 on the right side. The locking mechanism 35 is configured by:

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, from the automatic ice making device 12,
A detection lever 36 is extended, which is located inside the ice storage container 20 in the stored state to detect the amount of ice 18 stored and to stop the ice making operation when the stored amount reaches the limit. Further, on the back side of the door 9, as shown in FIG. 5, a shovel 37 for scooping out the ice 18 stored in the ice storage container 20 is removably attached.

Now, in the case of the device configured as described above, when it comes to the stage where the ice 18 made by the automatic ice making device 12 is removed, the drive section 19 rotates the ice making tray 17 as described above. The rotation of the ice tray 17 is, for example, up to an angle of 125'' as shown in FIG. As the rotation of the portion 19 side continues, the ice tray 17 is twisted, and the ice 18 that has been made is detached and dropped.During this time, from the time when the rotation of the ice tray 17 is started, the cam 28 of the locking mechanism 35 is also twisted. When the cam 28 begins to rotate together with the shaft 27 and the cam ridge 28a comes into contact with the rod 30, the rod 30 is pushed by the cam ridge 28a and the spring 31 is pushed as shown in FIG. It moves to the right side against the spring force, passes through the hole 32 of the locked piece 33, and fits into the hole 34. In this case, the door 9 is attached to the support frame 2.
2 is restrained by the rod 30 and is prevented from being pulled out, and the ice storage container 20 is also prevented from being pulled out accordingly.

Note that after the ice 18 is removed, the drive unit 19 of the automatic ice making device 12
is to return the ice tray 17. As the ice tray 17 returns, the cam 28 of the locking mechanism 35 also returns, and the rod 30 moves to the left side by the spring force of the spring 31 and returns, opening the hole 34 and the cover. It comes out through the hole 32 of the pick piece 33, allowing the door 9 and the ice storage container 20 to be pulled out.

According to the above configuration, the automatic ice making device 12
When the ice storage container 2 is detached from the ice 18, the rod 30 of the locking mechanism 35 operates accordingly.
This can prevent the ice 18 detached from the automatic ice making device 12 from falling outside the ice storage container 20, and return the ice storage container 20 to the stored state. It is also possible to avoid problems such as not being able to cut.

In the above embodiment, only the ice storage container 20 is disposed in the ice storage chamber exemplified as the ice making/ice storage chamber 4, and the automatic ice making device 1
2 may be provided at a different location, and the ice 18 may be guided and accommodated from there. Further, as for the automatic ice making device 12, other methods other than those described above, such as a plate type, for making and releasing ice, may be used.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but can be implemented with appropriate changes within the scope of the gist.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the refrigerator with an automatic ice making device of the present invention, the ice storage container that receives and stores ice that is automatically made and removed by the ice making device can be used as an ice storage container. It is provided so as to be pulled out of the ice storage chamber together with the door that opens and closes the opening facing the outside of the chamber, and includes an operating member that operates in conjunction with the ice removal operation of the ice making device, and Since the locking mechanism includes a locking member that is activated to a position that prevents the ice storage container from being pulled out, it is possible to prevent ice detached from the ice making device from falling out of the ice storage container. This can be prevented more reliably, and the excellent effect of avoiding the problem of not being able to return the ice storage container to the stored state can also be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the main parts, Fig. 2 is a front view of the entire refrigerator, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional side view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 2. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional side view of the main parts, Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the ice storage container and door,
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the main portion of the ice storage container in the pulled out state, FIG. 7 is a rear view of the lock mechanism portion, and FIG. 8 is a rear view of the same portion in the locking state. In the drawing, 4 is an ice making/ice storage chamber (ice storage chamber), 9 is a door, 12 is an automatic ice making device, 18 is ice, 20 is an ice storage container, 25 is an opening, 28 is a cam (operating member), 30 is a rod ( (locking member), 35 indicates a locking mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1.Equipped with an ice making device that automatically makes and detaches ice, and an ice storage container that receives and stores the detached ice in the ice storage chamber, and this ice storage container is placed outside the ice storage chamber. It is provided so as to be pulled out of the ice storage chamber together with the door that opens and closes the facing opening, and includes an operating member that operates in conjunction with the ice removal operation of the ice making device, and an operating member that is operated by the operating member to remove the ice. 1. A refrigerator with an automatic ice-making device, characterized in that it is provided with a locking mechanism comprising a locking member that is brought to a position that prevents the ice storage container from being pulled out.