JPH05157423A - Automatic ice making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain highly transparent water which is suitable to not only a drink but also physical functions without producing a cloudy portion in the central part of the ice generated in an automatic ice making device which is provided in a refrigerator and capable of generating ice in automatic mode. CONSTITUTION:An ice making saucer 35 having a projected part on the bottom is incorporated in a cover heater 33 which is opened on the top and provided with an ice making heater 32 on the bottom on the inner surface and a sealing material 34 is installed between the ice making saucer 35 and the cover heater 33 so as to seal, thereby constituting an automatic ice making device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device installed in a refrigerator and capable of automatically producing highly transparent ice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an automatic ice making device of this kind has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model No.
There was one adopted in Japanese Patent Publication No. -17139.

The details are shown in FIGS. In the figure, 1 is a refrigerator main body, 2 is an outer box made of an iron plate, 3 is an inner box formed by molding synthetic resin, 4 is an outer box, 2 is a foam insulating material filled between the inner boxes, and 5 is the above-mentioned. It is a partition wall that divides the interior of the refrigerator body 1 into upper and lower sections, and a freezer compartment 6 is formed in the upper portion and a refrigerating compartment 7 is formed in the lower portion.

Reference numeral 8 is a cooler of the refrigeration cycle provided on the back surface of the freezer compartment 6, and 9 is a blower for forcedly ventilating the cool air cooled by the cooler 8 into the freezer compartment 6 and the refrigerating compartment 7. ..

Next, 10 is an automatic ice making machine provided in the freezing compartment 6, which is a drive unit 11 incorporating a motor, a reduction gear group (not shown) and the like, and an ice making unit in which a support shaft 12 is fixedly connected to the central portion. It is composed of a frame 14 and the like for pivotally supporting the plate 12. Reference numeral 15 is a stopper provided in a part of the outer shell of the drive unit 11 for straining and deforming the ice tray 13 to perform ice making, and 16 is the ice tray 13 so as to come into contact with the stopper 15. It is a backing plate attached above. Reference numeral 17 denotes an ice storage box provided below the automatic ice making machine 10.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a water supply tank for storing ice making water, which is detachably provided on one surface of the refrigerating chamber 7. Reference numeral 19 denotes a water supply port of the water supply tank 18, which is opened and closed by a valve 20. Reference numeral 21 denotes a water storage plate provided below the water supply port 19 of the water supply tank 18, and the water supply port 1
When the water supply tank 18 is set with 9 facing downwards,
The valve 20 is pushed up to open the water supply port 19. Reference numeral 22 is a water supply pump for pumping the water received in the water storage tray 21, and 23 is connected to the water supply pump 22 so that its outlet faces the ice tray 13 of the automatic ice making machine 10. It is a water supply pipe arranged in.

In this structure, when the water tank 18 filled with water is set at a predetermined position by the user, the valve 20 is pushed up to open the water supply port 19 and the water tray 21 is filled with water. .. After that, the filled water is pumped up by the water supply pump 22 and poured into the ice tray 13 through the water supply pipe 23. In this way, the water filled in the ice tray 13 by a predetermined amount is frozen by the cooling action in the freezer compartment 6 to generate ice.

When the ice making is completed, the ice tray 13 is rotated and inverted about the support shaft 12 by the rotating action of the drive unit 11, and the contact plate 16 is brought into contact with the stopper 15, so that the ice tray 13 is deformed. The ice in the ice tray 13 is released. Further, the released ice falls into the ice storage box 17 and is stored therein, and the ice tray 13 which has completed the ice removing operation is restored to the original state by the reverse rotation operation of the drive device 11 again. After that, this operation is repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up to automatically make ice and store water.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, the freezing of water in the ice tray when ice is generated is centered from the contact surface between the ice tray and water and the contact surface between cold air and water. As it progresses to the bottom part, the gas component dissolved in water is confined in the center part of the ice, resulting in opaque ice with a cloudiness in the center part, which is sensual for beverages such as whiskey. There was a problem that it was not suitable for ice.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic transparent ice making device capable of producing highly transparent ice.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an automatic ice making device according to the present invention is an ice making heater in which a cover heater having an upper surface provided in an image of a cooling chamber is provided with an inner bottom portion as a center. And an ice tray with a bottom surface protruding from the opening of the cover heater, a sealing material that abuts on the cover heater and the periphery of the ice tray, a heat insulating case integrally attached to the lower portion of the cover heater, and It is composed of a heat insulating material in a heat insulating case and a drive device for rotating the ice tray. Further, instead of the sealing member, a rib is provided on the periphery of the ice tray to isolate the flow of air from the cover heater. Also, the boss formed in the heat insulating case and the hole formed in the driving device are combined together. Further, the freezing compartment is divided by a partition wall into an ice making compartment and a quick freezing compartment, and a convex portion for projecting the drive device toward the quick freezing compartment is configured.

[0012]

With the above structure, when a predetermined amount of water is supplied into the ice tray, the heat insulation by the heat insulating case and the heating by the ice making heater from the lower surface are cut off from the cool air by the seal material, and the cool air in the cooling chamber moves downward from the water surface. Freezing is generated in one direction, and ice crystals are generated while discharging gas components in water into the water below. Finally, the gas components are collected on the projection-shaped bottom surface of the ice tray to complete the freezing and finish the ice making.

Further, by integrating the heat insulating case and the driving device, the distance between the ice making heater on the lower surface and the ice making tray can be kept constant, and transparent ice without variations can be formed.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those of the conventional one are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 24 is a concave heat insulating case having an open upper surface, and 25 is a boss formed in the heat insulating case 24.
It is integrally attached to a hole 26 provided in the drive device 11. 27 is a boss projectingly formed from the drive unit 11, and is inserted and fixed in a recess 29 provided in the frame top 28. Further, the boss 25 of the heat insulating case 24 is inserted into a hole 30 formed in the side surface of the frame top 28.

Reference numeral 31 denotes a heat insulating material inside the heat insulating case 24.
Reference numeral 2 is an ice making heater, and 33 is a cover heater attached to the upper surface of the heat insulating case 24 for attaching the ice making heater 32. 34 is a sealing material provided all around the cover heater 33, 35 is an ice tray that overlaps the inner surface of the heat insulating case 24, and 36 is a horizontal projection of the side surface of the ice tray.
An outer peripheral flange that abuts 4 and 37 is a protrusion formed on the bottom surface. Reference numeral 38 is an aluminum plate attached to the upper surface of the cover heater 33. Reference numeral 39 is a support shaft provided at one end of the ice tray 35, one of which is inserted into and supported by the drive unit 11 and the other of which is inserted into and supported by a hole 30 formed in the frame top 28.

Reference numeral 40 denotes an ice tray temperature detector arranged on the outer shell of the bottom of the ice tray 35. Reference numeral 41 is a duct for guiding cold air to the upper surface of the ice tray 35.

42 is an ice making chamber, 43 is a freezing chamber, 44
Is a partition wall that divides the ice making chamber 42 and the freezing chamber 43, and 45 is a convex portion for projecting the drive device 11 toward the rapid freezing chamber 43 side.

Reference numeral 46 denotes a rib formed so as to project from the ice tray 35, which isolates the flow of cold air when the ice tray 35 and the cover heater 33 are not sealed by the sealing material 34.

The operation of the freezer-refrigerator constructed as above will be described below. When the user sets the water supply tank 18 filled with water at a predetermined position, the valve 20 is pushed up, the water supply port 19 is opened, and the ice tray 35 is filled with water. After that, the water supply pump 22 supplies the water supply pipe 23
Water supply to the ice tray 35 is started via. (For example, a predetermined amount of water is injected by means such as regulation of the operating time of the motor of the water supply pump 22.) Next, the cool air cooled by the cooler 8 by the blower 9 passes through the duct 41 to the water surface of the ice tray 35. Ventilation is forced upward to perform a cooling action. At the same time, the heating action of the ice making heater 32 arranged on the bottom surface of the cover heater 33 is started and the aluminum plate 38 uniformly heats the lower surface of the ice making plate 35. The ice tray 35 is surrounded by the heat insulating material 31 in the outer peripheral heat insulating case 24, and the space between the ice tray 35 and the cover heater 33 is sealed by a seal member 34 that abuts an outer peripheral flange 36 of the ice tray, or the ice tray 35 Since the ribs 46 formed so as to be more protruded prevent cold air from entering, the cooling action of the lower surface from the outer periphery is also suppressed, and the freezing action proceeds in one direction from above the ice making tray 35 to below.

Therefore, if the freezing speed is appropriately slowed down (for example, about 5 mm / h), the gas components dissolved in water are discharged downward as the ice formation proceeds. In this way, the ice that is sequentially generated over time becomes ice with a very high degree of transparency. Then, the water containing the gas component is finally collected in the projection portion 37 on the bottom surface of the ice tray 35 to complete the freezing. Therefore, although the ice-making-completed ice partially has a cloudy portion on the protrusions 37, it is organoleptically capable of producing ice with a considerably high degree of transparency.

When the ice making is completed, the ice making plate temperature detector 40 arranged in the ice making plate 35 detects the end of the ice making, and the energization of the ice making heater 32 is finished, and the driving device 11 is operated.
Is activated and the ice tray 35 starts rotating via the support shaft 39.
Then, the ice tray 35 comes into contact with a stopper 15 provided so as to face the drive device 11, and the ice tray 35 is distorted and deformed to remove ice.
Ice falls to 7.

After the water supply tank 18 is set by the user in this manner, the series of steps are automatically repeated until the water in the water supply tank 18 is used up. As a result, since the drive device 11 also projects toward the freezing chamber 43 side, a large amount of highly transparent ice is stored in the ice storage box 17 without making the ice storage box 17 into a different shape, and the user can , Very excellent ice for food and drink can be used at any time without much trouble.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sealing material provided so as to contact between the ice tray and the cover heater,
Alternatively, the ribs formed so as to project from the ice tray can prevent cold air from entering between the ice tray and the cover heater to cool the lower portion of the ice tray and prevent the formation of ice with low transparency.

By combining the heat insulating case and the driving device with the boss projecting from the heat insulating case and the hole provided in the driving device, the distance between the ice making heater and the ice making plate can be kept constant, and the ice making plate is connected to the ice making plate. The heating effect of is kept constant, and transparent ice with little variation can be generated.

Since the drive device is projected toward the freezing compartment,
It is possible to generate highly transparent ice and store it in a large amount without making a drive device in the ice storage box.

[0027]

As described above, the automatic ice making device of the present invention is
An ice-making heater centered on the inner bottom of a cover heater with an open upper surface provided in one drawing of the cooling chamber, an ice-making tray that is polymerized on the inner surface from the opening of the cover heater, the cover heater, and the periphery of the ice-making tray. It is composed of a sealing material in contact with the cover heater, a heat insulating case integrally attached to the lower part of the cover heater, a heat insulating material in the heat insulating case, and a drive device for rotating the ice tray. Further, instead of the sealing material, the rib is provided at the periphery of the ice tray to isolate the air flow from the cover heater, so that it is gradually cooled and frozen from the upper surface of the ice tray to always have a high transparency. Since ice can be automatically generated and the hot air and the cold air heated by the ice making heater are cut off by the sealing material, it is possible to prevent frost from adhering to the periphery of the ice making tray. Further, since the boss formed in the heat insulating case and the hole formed in the drive device are combined together, the distance between the ice making heater and the ice making tray can be kept constant,
The heating effect on the ice tray is kept constant, and transparent ice with little variation can be generated. Further, since the freezing compartment is divided into an ice making compartment and a freezing compartment by a partition wall, and the drive unit is configured to have a convex portion that projects toward the freezing compartment side, it is automatic without making the escape of the drive unit in the ice storage box. Since a large amount of ice is stored, the user can use ice that is extremely sensory at any time for eating and drinking.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of an automatic ice making device such as a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part as seen from the side of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with the automatic ice making device of FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which water is supplied to the automatic ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a state where ice making is completed by the automatic ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where ice is removed by the automatic ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator including an automatic ice making device showing a conventional example.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts of the automatic ice making device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Drive Device 24 Heat Insulation Case 25 Boss 26 Hole 31 Heat Insulation Material 32 Ice Making Heater 33 Cover Heater 34 Sealing Material 35 Ice Making Plate 45 Convex Part 46 Rib

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A cover heater having an opening on an upper surface provided in an image of a cooling chamber, an ice making heater arranged centering on an inner bottom portion of the cover heater, and an ice making tray superposed on an inner surface from the opening of the cover heater. A cover member that abuts against the cover heater and the periphery of the ice tray, a heat insulating case fitted and attached to a lower portion of the cover heater, a heat insulating material inside the heat insulating case, and a drive device that rotates the ice tray. Consisting of automatic ice making equipment. 2. A cover heater having an opening on an upper surface provided in one section of a cooling chamber, an ice making heater centered on an inner bottom portion of the cover heater, and an ice making tray superposed on the inner surface from the opening of the cover heater. A rib provided on the periphery of the ice tray to isolate air flow from the cover heater, a heat insulating case fitted and attached to a lower portion of the cover heater, a heat insulating material in the heat insulating case, and the ice tray. An automatic ice making device consisting of a driving device that rotates. 3. The automatic ice making device according to claim 1, wherein a boss formed in the heat insulating case and a hole formed in the drive device are fitted to each other. 4. The automatic ice-making device according to claim 1, wherein the freezing compartment is divided into an ice-making compartment and a quick-freezing compartment by a partition wall, and a convex portion projecting the drive device toward the quick-freezing compartment.