JPS6150232B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an automatic ice maker that automatically performs ice making, ice removal, and water supply, and also automatically controls the amount of ice stored by an arm sensor, and which also pulls out an ice storage container toward the front. This invention relates to an ice storage amount detection device.

The arm sensor of this type of automatic ice maker, which is generally available on the market, detects the amount of ice stored and turns off the ice making circuit.

In other words, the ice made by the ice maker is automatically dropped into the ice storage container installed at the bottom of the machine.
If the amount of ice exceeds the specified amount, it is necessary to stop the ice making operation. To perform this operation, the drive motor that was conventionally used to reverse the ice tray is fitted with a gear, etc., and a cam is interlocked, and the arm sensor is connected to a part of the cam so as to draw an arc inside the ice storage container. During this vertical movement, the amount of ice stored in the ice storage container is detected, and the ice making operation is stopped or restarted.

On the other hand, when the user takes out the ice in the ice storage container, it is convenient for this type of ice maker to pull out the previous ice storage container toward the front, so the user does not need to do so. Accordingly, pull out this ice storage container toward you. However, the conventional arm sensor is of the type that cuts the circuit of the drive motor that drives the arm sensor on the spot when it hits ice within the range of circular arc rotation, so the ice storage container is full of ice. The arm sensor is always located in the ice storage container when the ice storage container is turned on. If the user tries to pull the ice storage container forward without knowing this, the previous arm sensor will get stuck on the rear wall of the container, and if the user tries to forcefully pull out the container, the arm sensor, which is generally made of wire etc., will bend. This may result in an accident where the ice maker gets stuck or damaged, making it impossible to use the ice maker itself.

Note that this is not limited to when the ice is full; it has also happened in the past when the arm sensor was lowered into the container to detect the amount of ice stored and the user happened to pull out the container. It was an accident. This is because the above-mentioned arm sensor is normally located outside the ice storage container, and when the ice maker performs the ice removal operation, it goes down inside the ice storage container to detect the amount of ice stored.When the ice is full, the above arm sensor is located inside the ice storage container. This is a common flaw in automatic ice makers that remain stuck at the bottom.

In order to improve this defect, the present invention positions the conventional arm sensor outside the ice storage container at all times, and
A second sensor that moves in conjunction with this arm sensor is always installed inside the container using a notch in the container.

The details of the present invention will be explained below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, and the refrigerator body 1 has a freezer compartment 2 and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) inside. 3 is a freezer door that closes the front opening of the freezer compartment 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes an automatic ice maker body installed in the freezer compartment 2. This automatic ice maker body 4 includes an ice tray 4
The ice tray 4a is used to automatically release the ice made in step a.
It has a drive motor (not shown) that reverses the rotation, and also has a gear and a cam that move in conjunction with the movement of the drive motor, and various switches are turned on and off by the rotation of the cam, making ice, In addition to automatically taking off the ice and supplying water, it also rotates an arm sensor, which will be described later, in an arc when taking off the ice. 5 is an ice storage container installed at the bottom of the ice making machine main body. This ice storage container 5 can be pulled out toward the front by suspending its flange 5a from a rail 4c provided on a frame 4b that forms the exterior of the ice maker body 4. Reference numeral 5b denotes an arc-shaped cut groove provided on the rear wall of the ice storage container 5.

5c is a locking piece that also serves as a handle, and 5d is a deterrent plate that prevents ice falling into the container from an automatic ice maker installed above the container from concentrating and gathering in front of the container.

The ice storage container 5 is formed to be longer in the depth direction by a dimension than the depth dimension of the automatic ice maker, and the locking piece 5c which also serves as a handle is arranged within a certain range (within the previous dimension).
Even when the container 5 is pulled out, the rear wall of the container 5 (the wall where the arcuate cut groove 5b is provided) does not come off from the ice falling part. Reference numeral 6 denotes a second sensor, which is comprised of an arm portion 6a that rotates in response to the rotational movement of an arm sensor, which will be described later, and a detection portion 6b extending downward from one end of the arm portion 6a. 7 is a screw that pivots this second sensor to the main body of the automatic ice maker. The position where this screw 7 is provided is located approximately directly below the pivot point of the arm sensor, which will be described later.

Further, the arm portion of the second sensor is formed in an angular shape, and a angular sliding groove 6a' is provided in the arm portion. 8 is an arm sensor. This arm sensor 8 has a vertical portion 8a and a horizontal portion 8 as shown in the figure.
The vertical portion 8a is located on one side in the depth direction of the automatic ice maker body, and is pivoted by the aforementioned cam or the like so as to rotate toward the opposite side of the axis. However, the horizontal part of the arm sensor 8 of the lever engages with the sliding groove 6a' of the second arm sensor 6 described above, and when the arm sensor 8 is not rotating (located directly below the fulcrum), it is just the second arm sensor. When the sensor 6 is deeply engaged with the arcuate groove of the ice storage container 5 and the arm sensor 8 is rotated, it is located on the side opposite to the fulcrum of the second sensor 6, and the engagement relationship between the previous container and the second sensor 6 is changed. It works to make the sensor shallower (to lift the second sensor).
In other words, the arm sensor 8 is always located inside the ice storage container 5 via the second sensor 6. Furthermore, the L-shaped arm sensor 8 and the second sensor 6 are connected at two points, ensuring reliable operation. Reference numeral 9 denotes a small door provided on the third section of the freezer compartment door facing the ice storage container 5. This small door 9 is provided with a claw 9a that engages with a handle and locking piece provided on the ice storage container 5 and pulls out the ice storage container 5 toward the front side in conjunction with opening and closing of the door 9.

As shown in the figure, when the small door is closed, this pawl 9a is in the position shown by the solid line, and when the small door 9 is opened, it rotates as shown by the broken line, and locks with the previous handle/locking piece 5a as shown in the figure. The container 5 is pulled out by a predetermined distance (dimension) in accordance with the rotation. Moreover, since this small door 9 is entirely housed within a frame 10 that connects the outer panel 3a and inner panel 3b of the door 3 to form an opening, the portion 9a of the small door 9 that becomes the handle is conventionally It doesn't collect dust like this. It is also designed to be easy to wipe off even if it accumulates.

The operation of the automatic ice maker equipped with the ice storage amount detection device of the present invention having such a configuration will be described below.

In the automatic ice maker of the present invention, when the completion of ice making is detected by temperature or time, the drive motor starts driving, inverts the ice tray 4a and removes the ice, and the ice is removed via the gear and cam that rotate in conjunction with the drive motor. to rotate the arm sensor 8 in the direction of arrow P.

Following this, the second sensor 6 located inside the ice storage container 5 rotates in the direction of arrow f around the screw 7. (During this rotation in the f direction, one end of the second arm sensor 6 hangs downward within the arc-shaped cut groove 5b provided on the rear wall of the ice storage container 5, so the second arm (If the sensor 6 is made of a plate, it is better to make it in an arc shape.) During this process, the second sensor 6 is attached to the ice storage container 5.
When it hits the ice inside, the first arm sensor 8 stops advancing in the sliding groove 6a' inside the second sensor 6. Then, the movement of this arm sensor turns off the on/off switch and stops the subsequent rotation of the drive motor. This causes the water supply operation scheduled after the arm sensor detects the ice storage amount to be canceled.

A user using ice stored in one of the ice storage containers 5 opens the small door and pulls out the container 5, regardless of the ice making operation as described above. At this time, even if the second sensor 6 that detected full ice is located deep inside the ice storage container, the container will slide smoothly regardless of the presence of the second sensor 6. be.

This is because the second sensor 6 of the present invention not only matches the groove shape of the container 5 to be pulled out, but also constantly engages with the container 5, so it does not even play a guiding role when the container 5 is being pulled out. It is something that will be fulfilled. Of course, this means that when the flange 5a of the container 5 and the rail 4c of the automatic ice maker body 4 are properly combined, the container will be pulled out smoothly without hitting the second sensor.

As explained above, the present invention automatically performs ice making, ice removal, water supply, etc. using a cam that rotates in conjunction with the drive motor that reverses the ice tray, and turns on and off various switches in conjunction with the cam. In an automatic ice making machine that has an L-shaped arm sensor consisting of a vertical part and a horizontal part that move up and down in a drawing pattern, it detects the amount of ice stored in an ice storage container and turns on and off the water supply circuit, etc. The fulcrum of a second sensor consisting of an arm that rotates in response to the rotational movement and a detection section extending downward from one end of the arm is below the fulcrum of the arm sensor and on the side opposite to the detection section. This second sensor is located in the rear arc-shaped notch of the ice storage container that is pulled out to the front, so that the user can easily remove the ice from the ice storage container. It is possible to obtain an ice storage amount detecting device for an automatic ice maker in which the arm sensor is not bent or damaged even if it is pulled out.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts of a refrigerator equipped with the present invention,
2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a front view of the main part with the small door removed, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the small door section provided with the present invention. 1... Refrigerator body, 2... Freezer compartment, 3... Freezer compartment door, 3a... Outer plate, 3b... Inner plate, 4a... Ice tray, 4b... Frame, 4c... Rail, 4...
... Automatic ice maker body, 5 ... Ice storage container, 5a ... Flange, 5b ... Cut groove, 5c ... Locking piece that also serves as handle, 5d ... Suppressing plate, 6 ... Second sensor, 6a
...Arm part, 6b...Detection part, 6a'...Sliding groove, 7
...Screw, 8...Arm sensor, 8a...Vertical part, 8b...Horizontal part, 9...Small door, 9a...Claw,
10...Frame.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cam that rotates in conjunction with a drive motor that reverses an ice tray turns on and off various switches that automatically perform ice making, ice removal, water supply, etc. In an automatic ice maker that has an L-shaped arm sensor consisting of a vertical part and a horizontal part that move up and down in a drawing pattern, it detects the amount of ice stored in an ice storage container and turns on and off the water supply circuit, etc.
The fulcrum of the second sensor, which consists of an arm that rotates in response to the rotational movement of the arm sensor and a detection section extending downward from one end of the arm, is positioned below the fulcrum of the arm sensor and on the opposite side of the detection section. An ice storage amount detection device for an ice maker, characterized in that the second sensor is located within a rear arc-shaped notch of an ice storage container that is pulled out toward the front. 2. Claims characterized in that the arm portion of the second sensor consisting of an arm portion and a detection portion is formed into a linear shape, and a groove for sliding the arm sensor that matches the shape of the arm portion is provided in the arm portion. The ice storage amount detection device for an ice maker according to item 1. 3. Claim 1, characterized in that the arm part of the second sensor consisting of an arm part and a detection part is provided before and after the detection part, and the arm sensor and the second sensor are connected at two places. The ice storage amount detection device of the ice maker described above.