JPH04136480U - automatic ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The purpose is to provide an automatic ice-making device that can be miniaturized and make effective use of the space inside the freezer compartment. [Structure] A drive section 12 that drives the ice tray 2 is provided in the body 11, and by controlling the drive section 12 via a control circuit section 35, the ice tray 2 is reversed from a horizontal state and the interior thereof is rotated. In this device, the ice making tray 2 is returned to a horizontal state and is placed on standby after the ice block A is removed, and the control circuit section 35 is assembled by being incorporated into a dead space within the body 11.

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

0001

[Industrial application field]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic ice-making device installed, for example, in the freezing chamber of a refrigerator.

0002

[Conventional technology]

This type of automatic ice making device has a drive unit that drives the ice tray and a unit that controls this drive unit. It is equipped with a control circuit section. The drive section is provided in the body of the aircraft, and the drive section is controlled. The ice making tray can be turned over from a horizontal position by controlling it through the control circuit. The ice block inside is released and falls into the ice storage box. And after this separation, make ice again Return the plate to a horizontal position and wait. In this standby state, refill the ice cube tray with water and try again. By repeating the cycle described above, ice cubes are automatically obtained one after another. . Conventionally, the control circuit that drives the ice tray was installed in a separate case outside the aircraft. It is housed in a space.

0003

[Problem that the idea aims to solve]

However, in this way, the control circuit section that controls the drive section is installed outside the aircraft. If so, the entire configuration of the automatic ice making device will become large. This kind of automatic ice making equipment The unit is installed inside the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, so the overall configuration is large. As a result, the extra space in the freezer becomes small, making it difficult to store other frozen foods. As a result, the inside of the freezer cannot be used effectively.

0004 The present invention has been developed focusing on the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to Automatic ice making system that allows for more compact ice making and more efficient use of space within the freezer compartment. The goal is to provide equipment.

[0005]

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above purpose, the automatic ice making device of the present invention provides a drive for driving an ice tray. A unit is provided in the fuselage, and the drive unit is controlled via a control circuit unit, Inverting the ice cube tray from a horizontal position to remove the ice cubes inside the tray, and In the device that later returns the ice tray to a horizontal state and waits, the control circuit section is It is characterized in that it is assembled by being incorporated into a dead space within the body of the aircraft.

[0006]

[Effect]

According to the automatic ice making device having the above configuration, the control circuit section is installed in the dead space inside the machine. Since it is assembled by incorporating it, the overall structure is compact and the freezer compartment can be used widely. I'm going to growl.

[0007]

【Example】

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An automatic ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. first , 1 in the figure is an automatic ice making device, and this automatic ice making device is a refrigerator equipped with a cooler. It is stored in the freezer. Reference numeral 2 denotes an ice tray on the upper part of the automatic ice making device 1. This ice making The plate 2 is made of flexible synthetic resin, has support plates 3 and 4 at both ends, and a bottom plate. It has a plurality of ice-making recesses 5 divided into sections. At both longitudinal ends of this ice tray 2, Support shafts 6 and 7 are provided, and these support shafts 6 and 7 support a frame 8 that supports the ice tray 2. is supported horizontally. This frame 8 is a portion located below the ice tray 2. It has a large opening 8a. In addition, this frame 8 is designed to rotate the ice tray 2. An angle-shaped stopper 9 is provided to control the rotation of the ice tray 2 by 180 degrees. It comes into contact with this stopper 9 when it is pressed.

[0008] An ice storage box 10 with an open top is provided below the opening 8a of the frame 8. This ice storage box 10 can be inserted into and removed from the freezer compartment. on one side of frame 8 A fuselage 11 is provided. A drive section 12 is provided within this body 11, and this The drive unit 12 is provided at the tip of a motor 13 and a transmission shaft 14 of the motor 13. The front The output shaft 17c of the reduction gear 16c protrudes from the body 11 and is connected to the support shaft 6 of the ice tray 2. tied together. The worm gear 15 changes from 2000 to 3 depending on the activation of the motor 13. The final reduction gear 16 rotates at 000 rpm and is located approximately in the center of the fuselage 11. The rotation of c is decelerated so that it rotates at approximately 2 to 3 rpm. and high Grease is applied to the worm gear 15, which rotates at high speed, to prevent noise and wear. ing. A cam 20 is attached to the output shaft 17c of the reduction gear 16c. this The cam 20 is formed in a substantially semicircular shape, and includes an arc-shaped cam surface 20a and a non-arc-shaped cam. It has a surface 20b.

[0009] The fuselage 11 is provided with a first shaft 22 and a second shaft 23, and the first shaft 22 is provided with a first shaft 22 and a second shaft 23. The first boss 24 is rotatably provided on the second shaft 23, and the second boss 25 is rotatably provided on the second shaft 23. ing.

0010 A detection rod 26 is attached to a part of the circumferential surface of the first boss 24, and this detection rod 26 It protrudes from the body 11 and extends into the ice storage box 10. Furthermore, the first boss 24 A first arm 27 protrudes from another part of the circumferential surface of the The end portion is interposed within the ice storage amount detection unit 28 (photo interrupter). . Further, the second boss 25 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 via a spring (not shown). The interlocking bar 30 and the second arm are elastically urged in the direction, and the interlocking bar 30 and the second arm The arm 31 and the support bar 32 are each provided at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. There is.

[0011] The tip of the interlocking bar 30 is connected to one end of the arc-shaped cam surface 20a of the cam 20. The side end of the second arm 31 is elastically contacted by the biasing force of the spring. The tip is interposed within the ice tray position detection section 33 (photo interrupter). ing. The tip of the support bar 32 extends below the proximal end of the detection rod 26, The detection rod 26 is supported substantially horizontally by this support bar 32.

0012 Here, in the body 11 and on the opposite side of the worm gear 15, that is, the motor A control circuit section 35 is provided in a dead space portion on the back side of the computer 13. child The control circuit section 35 consists of a PC board etc. equipped with various electronic components such as semiconductors, The ice storage amount detection unit 28 and the ice tray position detection unit 33 described above are connected to this control circuit unit 35. has been done.

[0013] In the automatic ice-making device configured in this way, first, each ice-making recess 5 of the ice-making tray 2 is A certain amount of water is stored inside the tank through a water supply nozzle (not shown), and this is used in the automatic ice making system. It is cooled and frozen by the cold air surrounding the container 1, and becomes an ice block A. Complete freezing with ice cube tray It is detected by a temperature sensor (not shown) installed in 2, and this detection signal is sent to the control circuit. The motor 13 is started based on the signal sent to the road section 35. and motor 13 The rotational force is transmitted from the worm gear 15 to the output shaft via reduction gears 16a, 16b, and 16c. 17c, and this output shaft 17c rotates at a low speed.

[0014] Since the ice tray 2 is connected to this output shaft 17c, the rotation of the output shaft 17c In response, the ice tray 2 is gradually turned over. The ice tray 2 then flips almost 180 degrees. Then, one corner of the upper surface of the ice tray 2 comes into contact with the stopper 9. This win The rotation of the output shaft 17c continues even after the ice tray 2 is touched, and the ice tray 2 is twisted. As a result, the ice cubes A in each ice making recess 5 peel off and are discharged into the ice storage box 10 below. be done.

[0015] When the output shaft 17c rotates, the cam 20 integrally rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. While the ice tray 2 is inverted, the arc-shaped cam surface 2 of the cam 20 0a is in contact with the tip of the interlocking bar 30, and the ice tray 2 is bent almost 180 degrees. When the ice cube tray 2 is rotated, the arc-shaped cam surface 20a engages with the interlocking bar. 30, and in response to this separation, the second boss 25 is moved by the biasing force of the spring. It rotates by a certain angle clockwise in FIG. This rotation causes the tip of the second arm 31 to The ice tray position detection unit 33 is composed of a photointerrupter. It was detected that the ice cube tray 2 was turned almost 180 degrees and the ice block A was ejected based on the release. It will be done. Then, this detection signal is sent to the control circuit section 35, and based on this, the motor 13 is controlled so that it is reversed. Then, by reversing the motor 13, each of the above members is rotated. It returns to its original position and water is replenished into the ice cube tray 2, which is waiting in a horizontal position. is cooled by the cold air around it. This cycle is repeated one after another, and this As a result, ice chunks A are stored in the ice storage box 10 one after another and the amount increases.

[0016] By the way, the arc-shaped cam surface 20a of the cam 20 is separated from the tip of the interlocking bar 30. When it comes off and the second boss 25 rotates by a certain angle, a The supported support bar 32 is displaced below the detection rod 26.

[0017] If the amount of ice blocks A stored in the ice storage box 10 is less than the full amount, the support bar 32 is changed. As the position increases, the detection rod 26 rotates together with the first boss 24 by its own weight around the first shaft 22 as a fulcrum. Then, its tip is displaced downward in the ice storage box 10, and also due to the rotation of the first boss 24. The tip of the first arm 27 is an ice storage amount detection unit composed of a photointerrupter. Leaving from 28. On the other hand, the ice blocks A are stored in the ice storage box 10 to the full capacity. If there is, the tip of the detection rod 26 will hit the ice block A and its downward displacement will be blocked. Therefore, the first arm 27 does not detach from the ice storage amount detection section 28, and Based on this, the full amount of ice blocks A in the ice storage box 10 is detected, and a signal of this detection is sent to the control circuit section. Sent to 35th. Based on this signal input, one cycle of ice making ends. When the ice tray 2 returns to the horizontal state, its operating circuit is opened and the next cycle begins. migration is stopped.

[0018] The control circuit unit 35 that controls ice making is located in the dead space inside the aircraft body 11. As a result, the overall structure of the automatic ice making device 1 is compact, but Excess space in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator where this automatic ice making device 1 is installed As a result, when storing other frozen foods in this freezer compartment, You can use the space effectively.

[0019] In addition, the worm gear 15 of the drive unit 12 provided in the aircraft body 11 is as described above. Grease applied to this worm gear 15 in order to rotate at high speed spreads around it. Although there is a risk of scattering, the control circuit section 35 is connected to the It is arranged on the opposite side of the worm gear 15, and for this reason, a group is placed around the worm gear 15. Even if the lease is scattered, it will not reach the control circuit section 35, and therefore the control circuit section 35 will not reach the control circuit section 35. This has the advantage that it will not be contaminated with grease.

[0020]

[Effect of the idea]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to reduce the size of the configuration and save space in the freezer compartment. Therefore, it is possible to provide an automatic ice making device that can effectively utilize space.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts of an automatic ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 3 is a plan cross-sectional view of the automatic ice-making device shown above.

[Explanation of symbols]

2... Ice tray, 11... Airframe, 12... Drive section, 35... Control circuit section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Claim 1: A drive section for driving the ice tray is provided in the body of the machine, and by controlling the drive section through a control circuit section, the ice tray is turned over from a horizontal state and the ice cubes inside are removed. 2. An automatic ice making device which allows the ice making tray to return to a horizontal state and wait after detachment, wherein the control circuit section is assembled into a dead space within the body of the ice making device.