JPS6150234B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an automatic ice maker that automatically performs water production, water separation, and water supply, and also automatically controls the amount of ice stored by an arm sensor, and which pulls out the ice storage amount 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.

That is, ice made by the ice maker is automatically dropped into an ice storage container installed at the bottom of the machine, but if the amount of ice exceeds a specified amount, the ice making operation must be stopped. To perform this operation, the drive motor, which was conventionally used to reverse the ice tray, is fitted with a gear, etc., and a cam is interlocked, and a part of the cam is connected to the above-mentioned arm sensor 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 take out the ice while pulling out the previous ice storage container toward the front. Pry the ice storage container out to the front. 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 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 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, will bend. Accidents may occur in which the ice maker is crushed or damaged, making it impossible to use the ice maker itself.

Note that this is not limited to times when the ice is full, but accidents that have occurred in the past, such as when the arm sensor goes down into the container to detect the amount of ice stored, and the user happens to pull out the container. It is. This is because the above-mentioned arm sensor is always located outside the container, and when the ice maker performs the ice removal operation, it comes down inside the ice storage container to detect the amount of ice stored, and when the ice is full, the arm sensor goes down inside the ice storage container. This is a common defect in automatic ice makers that stay closed.

In order to improve this defect, the present invention has a structure in which the conventional arm sensor is always located outside the ice storage container, and a second sensor that moves in conjunction with the arm sensor is always installed inside the container using a notch in the container. This is what I did.

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 main body 4 includes a drive motor (not shown) that reverses the ice tray 4a in order to automatically release the ice made in the ice tray 4a, and is also linked to the movement of the drive motor. It has gears and cams that move as the cam rotates, and turns on and off various switches to automatically perform ice making, ice removal, and water supply, and also rotates the arm sensor described later in an arc when ice is released. It is something that makes you 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 even if the locking piece 5c that also serves as a handle is pulled out to a certain extent (within the previous dimension), the rear wall of the container 5 (circular The wall where the arcuate cut groove 5b is provided) is designed to prevent it from coming off the ice falling part. Reference numeral 6 denotes a second sensor, which is composed of an arm portion 6a that rotates in response to the rotation 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 F-shape, and a F-shape sliding groove 6a' is provided in the arm portion. 8 is an arm sensor. As shown in the figure, this arm sensor 8 is U-shaped, consisting of a vertical part 8a and a horizontal part 8b. It is pivoted so that it rotates toward the axis. However, the horizontal part of the arm sensor 8 of the lever engages with the sliding groove 6a' of the second sensor 6, and the second sensor 6 is in the state where the arm sensor 8 does not rotate (when it is located directly below the fulcrum). It deeply engages with the arcuate groove of the ice storage container 5, and when the arm sensor 8 rotates, it is located on the side opposite to the fulcrum of the second sensor 6, making the engagement relationship between the previous container and the second sensor 6 shallow. (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. Also, the U-shaped arm sensor 8 and the second
The sensor 6 is connected at two points to ensure its operation. Reference numeral 9 denotes a small door provided on the third section of the freezer compartment door corresponding to the ice storage container 5. This small door 9 is provided with a claw 9a that pulls out the ice storage container 5 toward the front in conjunction with opening and closing of the door 9, which is locked to a handle and locking piece provided on the ice storage container 5.

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. In addition, 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 part 9a of the small door 9 that becomes the handle is not equipped with the conventional one. There is no accumulation of dust. 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. (Even during this rotation in the f direction, one end of the second 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 sensor 6
Make the sensor 6 in an arc shape.

During this process, the second sensor 6
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 application not only matches the groove shape of the container 5 to be pulled out, but also constantly engages with the container 5, so it plays a guiding role when the container 5 is pulled out. It even accomplishes that. 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 uses a cam that rotates in conjunction with the drive motor that reverses the ice tray to turn on and off various switches that automatically perform ice making, ice removal, water supply, etc., and draws an arc in conjunction with the cam. In an automatic ice maker that has a U-shaped arm sensor consisting of a vertical part and a horizontal part that move up and down in this way, 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 of the arm and a detection section extending downward from one end of the arm is below the fulcrum of the arm sensor and on the opposite side of the detection section. At the same time, 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. No matter when you pull it out, the arm sensor will not be bent or damaged like in the past, and since the ice storage container is provided with an arc-shaped kerf that follows the trajectory of the second arc-shaped sensor, the kerf will not bend or break. According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an ice storage amount detection device for an automatic ice maker that can be made to a minimum.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts of a refrigerator equipped with the present invention,
Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the ice tong alone, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional plan view of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a front view of the main part with the small door removed, and Figure 5 is the small door equipped with the present invention. FIG. 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...kerf, 5
c...Locking piece that also serves as a handle, 5d...Suppression plate, 6...Second
Sensor, 6a...Arm part, 6b...Detection part, 6a'...Arm sensor, 8a...Vertical part, 8b...Horizontal part, 9
...Small door, 9a...claw, 10...frame, 11...ice tong, 12...ice tong installation part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cam that rotates in conjunction with a drive motor that reverses the ice tray turns on and off various switches that automatically perform water production, water separation, 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 manner that detects the amount of ice stored in the 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 an arcuate 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. At the same time, the second sensor is located in the rear arc-shaped notch of the ice storage container which is pulled out to the front side, and a small door is provided in the freezer compartment door facing the ice storage container, and the small door is provided with a small door. A refrigerator characterized by having an ice tong installation part on the side facing the freezer compartment. 2. The claw provided on the small door and the ice storage container are installed in an engaging relationship, and the arm portion of the second sensor consisting of the arm portion and the detection portion is formed into an F-shape, and an arm that matches the shape of the arm portion is installed in the arm portion. The refrigerator according to claim 1, characterized in that a groove for sensor movement is provided. 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. refrigerator.