JPH07218064A - Automatic icemaker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent wasteful consumption of electric power by stopping in an icemaking complete state when a switch for unnecessary time of ice is pressed, reducing a current flow rate of a heater for melting frost adhered to a feed water pipe, and returning to an original current flow rate at the time of resuming icemaking in an automatic icemaker for automatically making ice. CONSTITUTION:This automatic icemaker comprises icemaking stopping means 12, a heater 6, current flow rate control means 20, and control means 19 for so reducing a current flow rate by the means 20 as to decrease energization of the heater 6 at the time of stopping icemaking.

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 which is provided in a refrigerator and which automatically rotates an ice making container to perform an ice removing operation after completion of ice making.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, for example, as an automatic ice making device attached to a household refrigerator, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No.
No. 75 publication, a water supply pipe and a water supply pump motor for supplying water into an ice making container, a temperature sensor for detecting completion of ice making attached to an outer bottom surface of the ice making container, and a temperature detected by this temperature sensor is ice making. Completion temperature (eg -12 ° C)
Some include an ice removing mechanism for rotating the ice making container to perform an ice removing operation when the time becomes as follows.

Furthermore, in recent years, a function has been added to allow a user to stop automatic ice making when ice is not needed in winter or at night.
An automatic ice making device is shown that saves electricity bills and turns off the noise during ice removal. Further, the heater that prevents the water adhering to the water supply pipe from freezing into ice and closing the water supply pipe is always energized. The configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9.

8 and 9 show the structure of a conventional automatic ice making device. When 1 is an ice making container attached to a household refrigerator, it is installed in a freezing room or an independent room having a freezing temperature (-18 ° C). Reference numeral 2 is a temperature detecting means which is provided on the outer bottom surface of the ice making container 1 and comprises a thermistor for detecting the completion of ice making. 3 is a water supply tank, which is installed in a refrigerating room when it is attached to a home refrigerator. Reference numerals 4 and 5 are a water supply pipe and a water supply pump motor for supplying water from the water supply tank 3 to the ice making container 1. A heater 6 is attached to the water supply pipe 4.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an ice removing mechanism for rotating the ice making container 1 to perform an ice removing operation, and a motor 8 for rotating the ice making container 1 and a twist to the rotating ice making container 1 to remove the ice. Twisting portion 9, position detecting means 10 including a micro switch indicating the completion of twisting, horizontal position detecting means 11 including a micro switch indicating the horizontal position of the ice making container 1, a switch for sending a signal to stop the ice making, etc. The ice-making stopping means 12 is composed of.

When the ice-making stopping means 12 is attached to a refrigerator, it may be installed in a door of a freezing room or a refrigerating room or inside the room. Below the ice making container 1, an ice storage box 13 for storing the fallen ice is installed.

Next, the control circuit will be described with reference to FIG. 1
4 is a control means including a microcomputer,
The temperature detecting means 2, the position detecting means 10,
The horizontal position detecting means 11 and the ice making stopping means 12 are connected. The output terminal has a motor 8 and a water supply pump motor 5
And driving means 15, 16, 17 for moving the heater 6.
Are connected. The control means 12 is provided with a water supply timer 18 that counts the time during which the water supply pump motor 4 is moving.

In such a structure, the automatic ice making operation will be described with reference to FIG. First of all, in step 201,
If the state of the horizontal position detecting means 11 is ON, it can be determined that the ice making container 1 is horizontal, and the process proceeds to step 202. If it is determined that the horizontal position is not horizontal at step 201, the process proceeds to step 203 to operate the motor 8. Set to ON.

In step 202, the motor 8 is turned off, and the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, it is judged whether the temperature of the temperature detecting means 2 is higher or lower than a set value,
If it is higher, the process waits until it becomes lower in step 204. If it is determined in step 204 that the temperature is low, it can be determined that the ice making is completed, and the process proceeds to step 205, where the motor 8 is turned off.
Let N.

Therefore, the ice making container 1 is rotated. Then, the twisting portion 9 is twisted to separate the ice from the ice making container 1. Therefore, in step 206, the state of the position detecting means 10 is turned on, and it can be determined that the ice removal is completed, and step 2
In step 07, the motor 8 is continuously moved until the ice making container 1 becomes horizontal.
Wait until the N state is reached.

In step 206 and step 207, the process returns to step 206 until both the position detecting means 10 and the horizontal position detecting means 11 are turned on. When the horizontal position detecting means 11 is turned on in step 207, it is determined that the ice making container 1 is horizontal, and it is determined that ice removal is completed, and the motor 8 is stopped in step 208. In step 209, the ice making stopping means 12 is confirmed, and if it is turned on, it is turned off in step 209.
Wait until FF. That is, when the user does not need ice making, the ice making is stopped in step 209.

If the ice making stopping means 12 is OFF in step 209, the process proceeds to step 210. Step 21
At 0, the water supply pump motor 5 is operated to supply water to the empty ice making container 1, and at step 211, the water supply timer 18 is started and the water supply pump motor 5 is operated until the time is up at step 212. Step 21
When the water supply timer 18 times out in step 2, step 21
At 3, the water supply pump motor 5 is turned off. With the above, water supply is completed and one cycle of the ice making cycle is completed, and the process proceeds to step 204 again, and thereafter this cycle is repeated to automatically make ice.

Next, the operation of the heater 6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of the heater 6 shown in FIG.

The heater 6 is set to ON at step 301 so that the heater 6 is constantly energized so as to melt the lump of ice on the water supply pipe 4 and prevent it from becoming ice.

[0015]

However, in such a structure, when the ice making stop means 12 is ON, the water supply operation does not occur, so that water does not adhere to the water supply pipe 4 and the water supply pipe 4 does not adhere. Is never closed with ice. However, the heater 6 is always energized, and there is a problem in that it consumes very useless power consumption.

The present invention solves the conventional problems.
It is intended to provide an automatic ice making device that does not use unnecessary electric power while ice making is stopped.

[0017]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the automatic ice making apparatus of the present invention is configured so as to reduce the energization rate of the heater when the ice making is stopped and to return to the original energization rate when the ice making is reunited. It is equipped with means.

[0018]

The automatic ice making device of the present invention has the above-described structure, and when the user stops the ice making, the energization rate of the heater is lowered,
When the ice-making stop is released and the ice-making is reunited, a control means is provided to return the heater to the original duty ratio.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the same components as those of the related art are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different portions will be described.

Reference numeral 19 is a control means composed of a microcomputer or the like, and inside is provided a water supply timer 14 and a duty ratio control means 20 for controlling the duty ratio of the heater 6.
When the signal is set, the duty ratio control means 20 causes the heater 6
Is decreased (for example, 10%), and when the signal is reset, the current ratio is increased (for example, 100%).

The operation of the heater 6 having such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG. In step 101, the ice making stopping means 12 is confirmed, and if the ice making stopping means 12 is OFF, the operation proceeds to step 102 to reset the duty ratio control means 20, and the operation proceeds to step 103.
If the ice making stopping means 12 is turned on in step 101, the operation proceeds to step 104, the duty ratio control means 20 is set, and the operation proceeds to step 103. In step 103, the heater 6 is set to be energized.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the user stops the ice making, the energization rate of the heater can be reduced, and when the ice making stop is released and the ice making operation is reunited, the energization rate of the heater is changed. Can be returned to.

[0023]

As described above, according to the automatic ice making device of the present invention, when the user does not need the ice and gives an instruction to stop the ice making,
Lower the energization rate of the heater to prevent frost formation on the pipe,
Further, when the ice making is reunited, it is possible to supply the automatic ice making device having a great power saving effect by not returning wasteful electricity to the heater when the ice is not needed, by returning to the original electric conductivity.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control circuit diagram of an automatic ice making device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control of a heater of the automatic ice making device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the automatic ice making device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective front view of an ice removing mechanism of the automatic ice making device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of a conventional automatic ice making device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing control of a heater of a conventional automatic ice making device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing control of a conventional automatic ice making device.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a conventional automatic ice making device.

FIG. 9 is a perspective front view of an ice removing mechanism of a conventional automatic ice making device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ice making container 2 Temperature detecting means 3 Water supply tank 4 Water supply pipe 5 Water supply pump motor 6 Heater 7 Ice removing mechanism 8 Motor 12 Ice making stopping means 19 Control means 20 Conductivity control means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A water supply tank, an ice making container, a water supply pipe and a water supply pump motor for supplying water from the water supply tank to the ice making container, a temperature detecting means attached to the ice making container, and a motor for rotating the ice making container. An ice removing mechanism for rotating the ice making container to drop ice, a heater attached to the water supply pipe, an ice making stopping means for issuing a signal to forcibly interrupt the ice making operation, and changing the energization rate of the heater. An automatic ice making device comprising a duty ratio control means and including a control means for lowering the duty ratio of the heater when a signal from the ice making stop means is received during the ice making cycle.