JPH058430Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] a. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an opening/closing door of an ice dispenser, and particularly to an opening/closing door of an ice dispenser that is biased by a torsion coil spring and automatically opened/closed by an opening/closing device.

b. Prior Art There are various types of opening/closing doors at the exit of ice dispensers that have been used in the past, depending on the opening/closing means.
6 and 7.

In Fig. 5, 2 is an ice storage box, 2a is an opening,
3 is an opening/closing device, 4 is an opening/closing door, 5 is a solenoid, 5
a is a movable piece, 6 is a link, 7 is a torsion coil spring, and 8 is a support shaft. Now, when the solenoid 5 is excited by a control means (not shown), the solenoid 5 attracts the movable piece 5a, and since the movable piece 5a and the door 4 are connected by the link 6, the door 4 is 8 to open the ice passage leading to the outlet. When the solenoid 5 is demagnetized by the control means after a predetermined amount of ice has been discharged, the torsion coil spring 7 closes the ice passage.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the torsion coil spring used is a generally cylindrical coil spring with a uniform coil diameter, the coils are tightly wound, and ice storage compartments are provided at both ends. It has an arm part 7b and an arm part 7c, each having a hook that engages with the fixed part of 2 and a part of the rotating opening/closing door.

When the door 4 is opened, a load is applied to the spring 7 via its arm 7b or 7c, and the diameter (inner diameter and outer diameter) of the coil is reduced, and the door 4 is closed. Sometimes it will return to its original diameter with almost no load.

c Problems to be solved by the invention In the opening/closing door of an ice dispenser that is biased by a conventional torsion coil spring and opened and closed by an opening/closing device having a control means, the diameter of the coil of the torsion coil spring is uniform. The torsion coil spring is fitted on the outside of a support shaft (a fixed support shaft that does not rotate or a rotating support shaft that is integrated with the rotating door) that has an outer diameter smaller than its inner diameter. When a load is applied during the opening/closing operation, its inner surface comes into contact with the spindle, and when its diameter further shrinks, it slides on the surface of the spindle (it twists between the fixed part and the direction of rotation of the opening/closing door). Therefore, the torsion coil spring not only receives the most stress at both ends, but also wears out due to sliding in those parts, so there is a problem that it is extremely easy to break at the contact part D of the ends, and furthermore, There was a problem in that the ends of the broken torsion coil springs got stuck in the ice and were carried out with them.

d Means for solving the problem The present invention is biased by a torsion coil spring,
In an ice dispenser opening/closing door that is opened and closed by an opening/closing device having a control means, the torsion coil spring has a substantially cylindrical central coil portion and an inner diameter larger than the average coil diameter of the central coil portion in an unloaded state. An end coil portion is provided.

Note that the average coil diameter is the average diameter of the coil inner diameter and outer diameter of the coil spring.

e Effect A torsion coil spring is fitted onto a support shaft to maintain its position, but when a load is applied to a torsion coil spring, the stress due to torsional rotation is particularly felt at the base of the arm. Since that part has a larger inner diameter than the central coil part, it does not come into contact with the support shaft, and the contact between the inside of the torsion coil spring and the support shaft is near the starting point of the central coil part, which prevents wear and tear from particularly stressed parts. Since the fragile parts are separated, breakage of the torsion coil spring is reduced.

In addition, even if the torsion coil spring breaks,
Since the two separated parts together form a coil, it is possible to prevent it from falling from the spindle and getting mixed into the ice.

f Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the ice storage 2 is disposed above the ice making mechanism section 1, and the ice storage 2 has an opening 2 at the bottom of the side wall.
a and an ice chute 2b are provided.

An opening/closing door 4 (FIG. 2) is disposed in the opening 2a, and an opening/closing device 3 for rotating the opening/closing door 4 to open and close it is fixed to the side wall of the ice storage 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the opening/closing device 3 includes a solenoid 5 connected to a control means (not shown) for controlling energization, a movable piece 5a,
The opening/closing door 4 is connected via a solenoid 5 and the link 6 that transmits the suction force of the solenoid 5, and the opening/closing device 3 is connected by a support shaft 8.
It is rotatably attached to.

The details of the torsion coil spring 7 that biases the opening/closing door 4 to close the opening 2a are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The torsion coil spring 7 is composed of a central coil portion 7a, end coil portions 7d and 7e, and arm portions 7b and 7c having hooks (FIG. 3) as required.
and the radius r ₁ of 7e is the radius r ₂ of the central coil portion 7a.
The larger end coil portions 7d and 7e form at least one complete coil in the unloaded state. As shown in the figure, the central coil portion 7a has a starting point E at the second winding, and the end coil portions 7d and 7e are spirally wound toward the starting point E.

The radius r ₁ (or diameter) of the end coil portions 7d and 7e varies depending on the difference between the inner diameter of the central coil portion 7a and the outer diameter of the support shaft 8, and the torsion angle under load.
In particular, when loaded, the vicinity of the boundary between the arm portions 7b and 7c and the end coil portions 7d and 7e is located at the support shaft 8.
It is preferable to have a gap of at least 1/3 or more of the diameter of the coil wire between them. That is, in the no-load state, the end coil portions 7d and 7e need to have an inner diameter larger than at least the average coil diameter of the central coil portion.

The operation of the opening/closing door according to this embodiment will be explained next.

When the ice maker is turned on, water for ice making is supplied into the ice making mechanism section 1 by a water supply valve (not shown), and at the same time, the compressor and drive motor 9 (not shown) are energized to enter the ice making operation state. When the ice making operation continues, the bar ice made by the ice making mechanism 1 is stored in the ice storage 2.

When an ice vending signal is input to a control means (not shown), the control means excites the solenoid 5, attracting the movable piece 5a. The link 6 connected to the movable piece 5a causes the opening and closing door 4 to rotate about the support shaft 8, opening the opening 2a of the ice storage bin 2 and discharging the ice inside the ice storage bin 2 to the outside.

When the solenoid 5 is demagnetized by the control means, the opening/closing door 4 closes the opening 2a of the ice storage 2 due to the weight of the movable piece 5a and the torsion coil spring, and the release of ice is completed. Torsion coil spring 7
not only operates the opening/closing door 4, but also operates the ice storage 2.
It has a restoring force that overcomes the release pressure of the ice inside and returns the opening/closing door 4 to the closed position.

Every time such an ice selling action is performed, a torsional moment is generated in the torsion coil spring 7 around its center line through the arms 7b and 7c, and especially in the end coils corresponding to the bases of the arms 7b and 7c. Fatigue due to stress tends to accumulate in the parts 7d and 7e, and on the other hand, where the torsion coil spring 7 and the support shaft 8 come into contact, sliding occurs due to diameter reduction and twisting of the torsion coil spring 7, and wear progresses.

However, in this embodiment, the wear points caused by sliding due to diameter reduction and twisting of the torsion coil spring 7 are transferred from the end coil parts 7d and 7e, where fatigue due to stress tends to accumulate, to the center coil part 7a. The life of the torsion coil spring 7 could be significantly extended.

Even in the unfortunate event that the torsion coil spring 7 breaks due to wear, at least one complete coil exists in the separated end coil portion, so that the separated end coil portion is attached to the support shaft 8. It never fell off.

In addition, in the case where the torsion coil spring 7 is mounted in contact with the support shaft 8, only the rotating parts, that is, the arm side that engages with the opening/closing door, has an inner diameter larger than the average coil diameter of the central coil part. The durability can also be increased by providing an end coil portion having .

g. Effects of the invention According to this invention, the torsion coil spring includes a substantially cylindrical central coil portion and end coil portions having an inner diameter larger than the average coil diameter of the central coil portion. The coil part contacts the support shaft, and the end coil part does not contact the support shaft, so the end coil part that receives stress does not wear out, so the torsion coil spring has a long life.

In addition, even if the torsion coil spring comes into contact with the support shaft and slides and wears out, resulting in breakage, the separated end of the torsion coil spring forms a coil, so it will not fall off the support shaft and will not break. It is also possible to prevent an accident in which the bent end of the spring is carried out together with ice.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an ice dispenser with an opening/closing door showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the main parts in Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are an embodiment of the present invention. A front view and a side view of a torsion coil spring showing an embodiment, FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of the main part of the opening/closing door of a conventional ice dispenser, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are a front view and a side view of a conventional torsion coil spring. It is a diagram. 1 is an ice making mechanism, 2 is an ice storage, 2a is an opening,
2b is the ice chute, 3 is the opening/closing device, 4 is the opening/closing door,
5 is a solenoid, 5a is a movable piece, 6 is a link, 7
7a is a torsion coil spring, 7a is a central coil part, 7
b, 7c are arm parts, 7d, 7e are end coil parts, 8
is the support shaft, and 9 is the drive motor.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) In an opening/closing door of an ice dispenser that is biased by a torsion coil spring and opened/closed by an opening/closing device having a control means, the torsion coil spring, in an unloaded state, An opening/closing door for an ice dispenser, comprising a cylindrical central coil portion and end coil portions having an inner diameter larger than the average coil diameter of the central coil portion. (2) The opening/closing door of an ice dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the end coil portion is formed on the side of an arm portion of a torsion coil spring that engages with the opening/closing door.