JPH1073353A - Automatic ice making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To give a notice of an elapse of a predetermined time through an informing means or a indicating means by measuring the lasting time of a condition that water exists in a feed water tank through a timer. SOLUTION: No-water condition, detected by a thermistor, is counted by the timer of a control means while the timer is cleared by detecting the OFF condition of a tank switch (S1-S6). When a thermistor temperature TH is higher than the deciding level TH1 of existence of water, it is decided that water exists (S17). In this case, the operating condition of the timer is confirmed and when the timer is not operated, the timer is started (S23, S24) but when the timer is started (operated) (S23) to time up (S25), the timer is confirmed whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed or not (S25) and when the predetermined period of time has not elapsed, the operation is returned to an initial step (S1). When the timer is counted up (a predetermined period of time has elapsed), an informing means (S26) or an indicating means (S18) is operated and the operation is returned to the initial step (S1).

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 apparatus that automatically repeats water supply, ice making, ice separation, and water storage in a refrigerator or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional automatic ice making apparatus of this kind, for example, has a water supply tank for storing water in a refrigerator room of a refrigerator and a water supply apparatus for supplying the water to an ice tray. An ice tray for making ice from the supplied water and an ice tray driving device (hereinafter referred to as an ice releasing device) for rotating the ice tray to release ice are installed, and the ice tray is made of resin having an ice making part. A temperature sensor placed on the back of the ice tray (ice making section) that detects the temperature of the ice making section to detect the presence or absence of water supply to the ice tray and the completion of ice making, and controls the driving of the ice release device and the water supply device. (Hereinafter ice making thermistor)
An ice storage box is provided below the ice tray to store ice that has been released.

In such an automatic ice making device, when the ice storage box has a lot of ice and the ice storage device is in a so-called full ice condition, ice detecting means provided in the ice releasing device detects the full ice condition of the ice in the ice storage device. The operation of the ice making device is stopped until the ice condition becomes equal to or less than a certain amount. If the stored ice is not consumed, this stop state is maintained. However, only the ice detection operation operates under certain conditions (omitted).

[0004]

In the conventional automatic ice making apparatus as described above, if the ice in the ice storage box is not consumed, the water in the water supply tank is permanently stored as it is, and the water is surely putrefied. . For example, in winter when ice is not consumed much, the water in the water supply tank is not used (consumed), and may be stored for a long period of time, leading to decay, which is very unsanitary. Further, making ice with such water is not only unsanitary but also may cause a failure of a water supply device (such as a pump).

In view of the drawbacks, the automatic ice making device of the present invention has
If the installation state of the water tank is not released or removed for a predetermined time, or if the water tank has water for a predetermined time, or if the water tank has been installed for a predetermined time in the water state, an alarm is issued. Informing the user of the replacement of the water in the water supply tank and the cleaning of the water supply tank by a notification means such as a display.

[0006] Thus, the user can clearly know the time of water replacement, can maintain the sanitary condition of the ice making device, and can provide a very convenient automatic ice making device.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automatic ice making device according to the present invention has solved the above-mentioned problems, and the first invention is that water in an ice tray is provided in control means such as a water supply device and an ice releasing device. A first timer that counts the state, a second timer that counts the installation state of the water supply tank, or a third timer that counts the halt state of the ice removal operation, or counts the halt state of the water supply device It is provided with a fourth timer.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the water supply tank switch for detecting the installation state of the water supply tank switches from the state with the water supply tank to the state without the water supply tank by the signal of the first timer or the second timer. And means for clearing the second timer, the third timer, or the fourth timer.

The third invention is characterized in that the first timer, the second timer, or the third timer
Alarm (notification) means or display (notification) in which the fourth timer or the fourth timer operates after a predetermined time has elapsed.
Means.

The automatic ice making device of the present invention has the above-mentioned configuration, and the first invention has a first timer for measuring the duration of the ice tray with water, that is, the water tank with water. Or it has a 2nd timer and measures the duration of the installation state of a water supply tank. Alternatively, a third timer is provided to measure the duration of stopping the ice-removal operation. Or
It has a fourth timer, and measures the stop duration of the water supply device.

The second invention is characterized in that when the water tank is removed and the water tank switch detects the water tank absence state from the water tank presence state, the first timer or the second timer or the second timer The third timer or the fourth timer is cleared to be in the initial state.

[0012] The third invention has an alarm means or a display means, and the first timer is operated when a predetermined time has elapsed, that is, when the water-supplying state of the water supply tank has elapsed a predetermined time, or the second timer has a second means.
When a predetermined time elapses, that is, when the installation state duration time of the water supply tank elapses a predetermined time, or when a third timer elapses a predetermined time, that is, when a deicing operation stop time elapses a predetermined time, or When the predetermined time elapses, that is, when the stop time of the water supply device elapses the predetermined time, a warning is issued by the alarm means or displayed by the display means to notify the user.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment of an automatic ice making device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the control of an automatic ice making device according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes control means including a CPU or the like having a built-in timer or the like. Reference numeral 2 denotes a switch for detecting the installation state of a water supply tank (not shown), that is, the presence or absence of the water supply tank (hereinafter referred to as a tank switch). The ON / OFF operation is input to the control unit 1. In this embodiment, in order to facilitate understanding, a description will be given assuming that the tank switch is OFF without a water supply tank and the tank switch is ON with a water supply tank.

The output shaft 3 is connected to an ice tray (not shown), and after the ice making is completed, the ice tray is rotated by driving to release ice, and the ice tray is held at the origin position (horizontal position) during standby. The ice making device 3 lowers an ice detecting lever (not shown in the ice making device 3) before the ice is removed, and determines the amount of ice in an ice storage box provided under the ice making tray. If the detected amount is equal to or less than the full ice, the ice releasing operation is performed, and if the detected amount is equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the ice releasing operation is stopped, and both the ice tray and the ice detecting lever return to the standby position (horizontal) to be in the standby state.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a water supply device (water supply pump). The suction port of the water supply device 4 is pipe-connected to a water supply tank, and the discharge port of the water supply device 4 is connected to a pipe (hose) or the like to guide it to an ice tray. Have been. When the ice in the ice tray is released by the ice making device 3, the water supply device 4 operates to supply water from the water supply tank to the ice tray. At this time, the water supply amount is determined by the operation time of the water supply device 4 and the like.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an alarming means (an informing means for informing) or an indicating means for displaying an alarm, which forms an informing means. Reference numeral 6 denotes a temperature sensor disposed at the bottom of the ice tray, and usually uses a thermistor (hereinafter referred to as a thermistor).

FIG. 2 is an operational characteristic diagram of the thermistor 6 disposed at the bottom of the ice tray of the automatic ice making device according to the present invention.
TH is a temperature detection characteristic, and TH1 is a temperature level for determining whether or not water is present in the ice tray when water is supplied to the ice tray. If the thermistor temperature TH is equal to or higher than TH1 as shown in FIG. Yes, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), if TH1 or less, it is determined that there is no water. TH2 is an ice-making completion detection temperature of the water in the ice tray, and if the thermistor temperature TH is equal to or lower than TH2, it is determined that ice-making is completed, and if the thermistor temperature TH is equal to or higher than TH2, ice-making is not completed.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic ice making apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The waterless state of the thermistor 6 is counted by the timer 1 of the control means 1.
The timer is cleared by detecting the OFF state of the tank switch 2.

The detailed operation will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 3, first, in step S1 of the main routine, the OFF state of the tank switch 2 is detected. That is, it is detected whether or not the water supply tank has been removed. If the tank switch 2 is OFF, that is, if there is no tank, it is checked in step S4 whether the alarm (notification) means or the display means 5 is operating (ON). If the tank switch 2 is operating, the notification means or display is made in step S6. The means 5 is stopped (OFF), and the timer of the control means 1 is cleared in step S5 irrespective of the operation of the notification means or the display means 5, and the flow returns to step S2 to determine whether or not the ice making is completed. .

The thermistor temperature TH is equal to the ice making completion temperature TH2.
If it is higher and ice making is not completed, the process returns to the initial stage of step S1 after the other (main) work is completed in step S3. If the thermistor temperature TH is low and lower than the ice making completion temperature TH2, ice making is completed and the ice making device 3 is driven (forward rotation) in step S7, and a full ice state is detected by the ice detecting lever in step S8. Then, if the ice in the ice storage box is more than a certain amount and is full, the operation of the ice making device 3 is reversed.

If the position detecting switch (omitted) in the ice making device 3 detects the horizontal position (origin position) of the ice tray or the ice detecting lever in step S21, the ice making device 3 is set in step S22.
(If the ice tray has not returned to the horizontal position, the ice making device 3 continues the reversing operation).

If the ice in the ice storage box is equal to or less than the predetermined amount in step S8, the ice making device 3 continues to rotate normally and step S9.
It is checked whether or not the ice removal operation is completed. If not, the normal rotation is continued until the ice removal is completed. If the ice removal is completed, the ice making device 3 is reversed in step S10, and it is checked whether or not the ice making device 3 has returned to the horizontal position (origin position) in step S11. If the operation is continued and returns to horizontal, the ice making device 3 is stopped in step S12.

Then, in step S13, the water supply device 4 is driven to supply water to the ice tray. The water supply timer is started (ON) in step S14 in order to determine this water supply amount based on the drive time of the water supply device. Then, in step S15, it is confirmed whether the water supply timer has elapsed for a predetermined time, and if it has elapsed (if it has not elapsed, continue as it is) in step S1
At 6, the water supply device 4 is stopped.

In step S17, the temperature of the ice tray is detected by the thermistor 6, that is, the thermistor temperature TH
Is lower than the water presence / absence determination level TH1, it is determined that there is no water, and in step S18, the absence of water is displayed (the display unit is omitted).
It is not necessary to continue the operation of the timer 1 because the water has run out, and the timer 1 is cleared in step S19.

In step S17, the thermistor temperature TH
Is higher than the water presence / absence determination level TH1, water has entered,
That is, it is determined that there is water, the operation state of the timer 1 is checked in step S23, and if it is not operating, the timer 1 is started in step S24, and the process proceeds to step S25 and step S23.
If the timer 1 has been started (operated) in step S
At 25, the timer 1 checks whether a predetermined time has elapsed,
If not, the process returns to step S1. Timer 1 is U
If P (the predetermined time has elapsed), the notifying means or the display means 5 is operated in step S26, and the process returns to step S1.

If the ice making is completed in FIG. 2, the thermistor temperature TH is equal to or lower than the ice making completion temperature TH2, and when the water is supplied to the ice making tray after the ice separation, as shown in FIG. And rises to the water presence detection level TH1 or more.
Then, when ice making is started, the thermistor temperature TH decreases. However, when water is supplied to the ice tray, if there is no water in the water supply tank, no water is supplied to the ice tray, and the thermistor temperature TH does not change as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, the operations of the water supply device 4, the ice making device 3, the notification means or the display means are all performed by the control means 1.
Is controlled by Then, the detection signals of the thermistor 6 and the tank switch 2 are all input to the control means 1. Further, in the present embodiment, the timer is in a state of water,
Although the time until the water supply tank was removed was measured, the same result can be obtained by measuring the suspension time of the ice release operation of the ice making device until the water supply tank was removed.

Further, the detection of the duration of installation of the water supply tank and the stop time of the water supply device 4 or the ice making device 3 without detecting the water presence state is detected (reported or displayed) even when there is no water. There is a possibility, and the detection accuracy decreases. The timer time is set to 1 in the instruction manual of the refrigerator-freezer.
Since the cleaning of the water tank is recommended in about a week, about one week to one month is appropriate.

[0029]

Since the automatic ice making apparatus of the present invention has the above-described structure, the detecting means, specifically, the timer, determines the duration of the water state of the ice tray, that is, the water state of the water supply tank. It can be measured (counted) and the time when a predetermined time has elapsed can be reported by the notification means or the display means. Alternatively, it is possible to measure the duration of the installation state of the water supply tank with a timer and notify it by a notification means or a display means when a predetermined time has elapsed, or to measure the suspension duration of the ice-removal operation with a timer and measure the duration. The elapsed time can be reported by the notification means or the display means. Alternatively, the timer can measure the duration of stoppage of the water supply device and notify the user by a notification unit or a display unit when a predetermined time has elapsed, so that the user can supply water in a state where water is stored in the water supply tank for a long time. Knowing that the water in the tank may be spoiled or can lead to spoilage, it can be used as a guide to replace water in the water tank and clean the water tank.

Then, the timer is operating while the water supply tank has water. When the water supply tank is removed and the water is replaced and the water supply tank is cleaned, the timer is cleared and the timer is set to the initial state. Therefore, even though the counting is continued and the water supply tank is cleaned and the water is replaced, the notification means and the display means do not operate (report) and do not give a false report.

Further, the timer is operated while the water supply tank is installed. When the water supply tank is removed and the water is exchanged and the water supply tank is cleaned, the timer is cleared and the timer is set to the initial state. Although the counting is continued as it is and the water supply tank is cleaned and the water is replaced, the notification means and the display means operate (report) and do not give a false report.

Further, the timer is operating while the ice-removing operation is stopped. When the water supply tank is removed and the water is exchanged and the water supply tank is cleaned, the timer is cleared and the timer is set to the initial state. Therefore, even though the counting is continued and the water supply tank is cleaned and the water is replaced, the notification means and the display means do not operate (report) and do not give a false report.

The timer is operating while the water supply device is stopped. When the water supply tank is removed and the water is exchanged and the water supply tank is cleaned, the timer is cleared and the timer is set to the initial state. Although the counting is continued as it is and the water supply tank is cleaned and the water is replaced, the notification means and the display means operate (report) and do not give a false report.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a temperature operation characteristic diagram of a thermistor showing an embodiment of an automatic ice making device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the automatic ice making device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Control means 2 Tank switch 3 Ice making device 4 Water supply device 5 Notification means or display means 6 Thermistor

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An ice tray having a plurality of partitioned ice-making units installed in a freezing room and having a temperature sensor for detecting the presence or absence of water and the completion of ice-making, and rotating the ice tray. An ice tray driving device for detaching ice, a detachable water tank installed in a refrigerator, a tank switch for detecting the presence or absence of the water tank, and water in the water tank to the ice tray. An automatic ice making device having a water supply device for supplying water, wherein the automatic ice making device further comprises detection means for detecting whether or not the water in the water supply tank is stored for a long time. 2. An automatic ice making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a timer for counting a time when the temperature sensor detects a state of water in the ice tray. 3. The automatic ice making device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a timer for counting the installation time of the water supply tank. 4. The automatic ice making apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a timer for counting a time period during which the ice-removal operation is stopped. 5. The automatic ice making device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a timer for counting a time of a stop state of the water supply device. 6. The automatic ice making apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for clearing a timer and setting an initial state when the water supply tank is removed. apparatus. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a notifying means for notifying that the water in the water supply tank has been stored for a long time when the detecting means detects that the water in the water supply tank has been stored for a long time. Automatic ice making equipment.