JPWO2020129244A1 - refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerator has a tank installed in the freezing temperature zone, a tank lid that divides the water stored in the tank into multiple compartments, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water stored in the tank, and the tank and tank lid. An ice-removing part that separates the ice made from the ice, a support part that supports the tank, the tank lid, and the ice-removing part, and a controller that operates the ice-removing part when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes lower than the set temperature. It has.

Description

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a storage chamber in a freezing temperature zone.

Conventionally, a refrigerator that automatically makes ice is known. Refrigerators that perform automatic ice making are equipped with a water supply tank that stores water for water supply to the ice tray, and the water supply tank is installed in a storage room in the refrigerating temperature zone so that the stored water does not freeze. Further, refrigerators that perform automatic ice making are often provided with a pump and a motor as power for sending water from a water supply tank to an ice tray via a water supply pipe.

A refrigerator in which a water supply tank is arranged at one end of the floor surface of a storage chamber is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the refrigerator of Patent Document 1, the water supply tank narrows the storage area of the refrigerator compartment even at one end of the floor surface. To solve this problem, a refrigerator in which a water supply tank is embedded in the floor of the refrigerator compartment is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-180411 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 09-126611

In the refrigerator of Patent Document 2, a water supply tank is embedded in the partition between the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone and the storage chamber in the freezing temperature zone. A part of it has protruded into the storage room in the freezing temperature zone. Therefore, the volume of the storage chamber in the freezing temperature zone becomes narrow, and the usability of the refrigerator may decrease.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a refrigerator that performs automatic ice making and suppresses the volume of the refrigerating temperature zone from becoming narrow.

The refrigerator according to the present invention has a tank installed in a freezing temperature zone for storing water, a tank lid for dividing the water stored in the tank into a plurality of compartments, and a temperature for detecting the temperature of the water stored in the tank. The temperature detected by the sensor, the ice-removing portion that separates the ice made from the tank and the tank lid, the support portion that supports the tank, the tank lid, and the ice-removing portion, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than the set temperature. When it becomes low, it has a controller for operating the ice-removing portion.

According to the present invention, since the water accumulated in the tank installed in the freezing temperature zone is frozen and then deiced, the water supply tank conventionally installed in the refrigerating temperature zone becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the volume of the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone from being narrowed, and to suppress the reduction of the stored items to be stored.

It is an external front view which shows an example of the refrigerator equipped with the ice making apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a front view which shows the state which the door was removed from each storage chamber of the refrigerator shown in FIG. It is a schematic view when the cross section of the refrigerator is seen by the line segment I-I shown in FIG. It is an external perspective view which shows an example of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. It is an exploded perspective view of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment IV-IV shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view of the broken line part shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a configuration example of the drive device shown in FIG. 7. It is a top view which shows the structural example of the drive device shown in FIG. It is an external perspective view which shows one configuration example of the tank shown in FIG. 7. It is a top view of the tank shown in FIG. 11. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment XII-XII shown in FIG. It is a top view when the tank lid shown in FIG. 11 is incorporated in the tank shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment XIV-XIV shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows one configuration example of the controller shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the ice making operation performed by the refrigerator of Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a process in which a user inserts a tank into the support portion shown in FIG. It is an upper plan view when the ceiling board is mounted on the support part shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment XIX-XIX shown in FIG. It is a graph which shows the time-series change of the detection value of the temperature sensor in the ice making process of Embodiment 1 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a positional relationship between a tank and a tank lid in the ice removal operation of step S105 shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the set angle in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the main part of the ice making apparatus in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a positional relationship between a tank and a tank lid in the ice removal operation of step S105 shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the set angle in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is an external perspective view which shows the ice making unit in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a top view of the ice making unit shown in FIG. 27 when viewed from below. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment XXVIII-XXVIII shown in FIG. 28. It is a graph which shows the time-series change of the detection value of the temperature sensor in the ice making process of Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is an external perspective view which shows the ice making unit in the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 4 of this invention. It is a top view of the ice making unit shown in FIG. 31 when viewed from above. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the line segment XXXII-XXXII shown in FIG. 32.

Embodiment 1.
The configuration of the refrigerator provided with the ice making device of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is an external front view showing an example of a refrigerator provided with an ice making device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the door is removed from each storage chamber of the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view when the cross section of the refrigerator is viewed with the line segments I-I shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 100 has a refrigerating room 101, an ice making room 102, a switching room 103, a freezing room 104, and a vegetable room 105 as storage rooms. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 60 is provided on the door 101a of the refrigerator compartment 101. The operation panel 60 includes an operation unit 61 for the user to input an instruction, and a display unit 62 for notifying the user of the information. The switching chamber 103 is a storage chamber in which the user can select which of the refrigerating temperature and the freezing temperature the stored product is stored at. The ice making device 11 of the first embodiment is installed in the ice making chamber 102 in the freezing temperature zone where the freezing temperature is maintained.

The operation unit 61 is, for example, a touch panel. The display unit 62 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device. The display unit 62 may have a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode. In addition to the operation unit 61 and the display unit 62, the operation panel 60 may have one or both of a speaker that outputs voice and a buzzer that outputs an alarm sound. The buzzer may be provided separately from the operation panel 60.

As shown in FIG. 3, each storage chamber described with reference to FIG. 2 is covered with a heat insulating material 120. The refrigerator 100 has a refrigerant circuit in which a refrigerant circulates. The refrigerant circuit has a configuration in which a cooler 51, a compressor 52, a heat radiating pipe 53, and a capillary tube (not shown in the figure) are connected by a refrigerant pipe. The cooler 51 functions as an evaporator for the refrigeration cycle. The heat dissipation pipe 53 functions as a condenser for the refrigeration cycle. The refrigerator 100 includes a controller 30 that controls a refrigeration cycle, and a blower 54 that sends cold air cooled by the cooler 51 to each storage chamber via an air passage. The refrigerator 100 is provided with a freezing temperature sensor 41 for detecting the freezing temperature and a refrigerating temperature sensor 42 for detecting the refrigerating temperature.

The freezing temperature sensor 41 and the refrigerating temperature sensor 42 are, for example, a thermistor. Regarding the freezing temperature sensor 41 and the refrigerating temperature sensor 42, the installation location shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the installation location of these sensors is not limited to the position shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, it is omitted that the shelves on which the stored items are mounted and the cases for storing the stored items are shown in the figure.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing an example of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the ceiling plate 111 of the ice making chamber 102 shown in FIG. 1 covers the upper surface of the ice making device 11. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the ice making device 11 has an ice making unit 10 and a case 6 holding a spare tank 12. The ice making unit 10 has a tank 1 for storing water to be ice-made, a tank lid 2 incorporated on the tank 1, and a support portion 5 for supporting the tank 1 and the tank lid 2. The support portion 5 includes an upper plate 5d that covers the upper surface of the tank 1, two side plate 5e that covers the side surfaces of the tank 1 in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis arrow direction), and a support plate provided under each side plate 5e. Has 5b and. FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which two support plates 5b extending in the longitudinal direction support the tank 1 at the edge of the tank 1, but the support plate 5b has a configuration in which the entire lower surface of the tank 1 is supported. You may.

Although the ceiling plate 111 and the support portion 5 are shown in different configurations in FIG. 4, the upper plate 5d of the support portion 5 may be integrally configured with the ceiling plate 111. Further, the side plate 5e in the longitudinal direction of the support portion 5 may be integrally formed with the side wall of the ice making chamber 102. In the case of this configuration, when the user cleans the ice making device 11, the support portion 5 can be wiped and cleaned without removing the support portion 5.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the ice making apparatus shown in FIG. 4 when viewed from above. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment IV-IV shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, for the sake of explanation, an air outlet 8 to which cold air is supplied from an air passage (not shown), a door 102a of the ice making chamber 102 shown in FIG. 2, and a support plate 5b are shown in the figure.

As shown in FIG. 7, the support plate 5b that supports the tank 1 is provided with a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the water that collects in the tank 1. Further, the support portion 5 is provided with a drive device 3. The drive device 3 is an example of an ice-removing portion that serves to separate the ice formed in the tank 1 from the side wall of the tank lid 2 and the side wall of the tank 1. As shown in FIG. 7, in a state where the tank 1 is housed in the support portion 5, the front end portion 1f of the tank 1 and the front end portion 5c of the support portion 5 coincide with each other. Therefore, the front surface of the tank 1 is fixed to the support portion 5. On the other hand, about half of the rear part of the support part 5 (in the direction of the Y-axis arrow) is the support part 5 so that the space between the tank lid 2 and the support part 5 is wider than that of the front part (in the direction opposite to the Y-axis arrow). The upper plate 5d is inclined. Since the space between the tank lid 2 and the support portion 5 is wide behind the support portion 5, cold air flows smoothly from the air outlet 8 to the front of the tank 1 along the upper plate 5d.

The temperature sensor 43 is, for example, a thermistor. The temperature sensor 43 is not limited to a contact type sensor such as a thermistor. The temperature sensor 43 may be a sensor that detects the temperature of the tank 1 and the tank lid 2 from a distant position such as a thermopile using infrared rays. The temperature sensor 43 only needs to be able to detect the temperature of the water accumulated in the tank 1, and the installation position of the temperature sensor 43 is not limited to the position shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the broken line portion shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 8, the tank 1 is provided with a first coupling portion 1c at a position where the tank 1 is housed in the support portion 5 and comes into contact with the drive device 3. The first joint portion 1c has a concave shape. The drive device 3 is provided with a second coupling portion 3a that is fitted into the first coupling portion 1c of the tank 1. The second joint portion 3a has a convex shape.

FIG. 9 is an external perspective view showing a configuration example of the drive device shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the drive device shown in FIG. The drive device 3 has a motor (not shown) and a plurality of gears for obtaining a torque larger than that of the motor. The plurality of gears are composed of a first gear connected to the shaft of the motor and a second gear having a radius larger than that of the first gear. A second coupling portion 3a is provided on the rotation shaft Ax of the second gear. In FIG. 10, since the rotation axis Ax cannot be actually seen, the rotation axis Ax is shown by a broken line. In the drive device 3 shown in FIG. 10, the rotation of the motor (not shown) causes the second coupling portion 3a to rotate about the rotation axis Ax. As the second coupling portion 3a rotates, the first coupling portion 1c that fits with the second coupling portion 3a rotates.

In this way, the first coupling portion 1c and the second coupling portion 3a function as a coupling portion that transmits the driving force of the rotating shaft Ax to the tank 1 and the tank lid 2. The rotation angle θ of the rotation shaft Ax is proportional to the amount of current flowing through the motor of the drive device 3. 7 and 8 show a case where the first joint portion 1c has a concave shape and the second joint portion 3a has a convex shape, but the first joint portion 1c has a convex shape and the second joint portion 3a has a concave shape. It may be in shape.

FIG. 11 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the tank shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the tank shown in FIG. 11 when viewed from above. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment XII-XII shown in FIG. The water supply to the tank 1 is performed by the user. As shown in FIG. 11, a handle 1b is provided on the front surface of the tank 1 for the user to insert the tank 1 into the support portion 5 and pull out the tank 1 from the support portion 5. As described with reference to FIG. 8, a first coupling portion 1c for coupling with the second coupling portion 3a of the drive device 3 is provided behind the tank 1. Side walls 1d and 1e inclined with respect to the vertical direction (Z-axis arrow direction) are provided on the inner surface of the tank 1. The side walls 1d and 1e are inclined so that the ice formed in the tank 1 can be easily separated and the opening area becomes larger as the distance from the tank 1 increases vertically.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a drain port 1a is provided at a certain height on the side wall 1d of the tank 1. With this configuration, when the user supplies water to the tank 1, excess water is discharged from the drain port 1a even if the water is excessively supplied. For example, even if the user puts water in the tank 1 up to the temporary water level Swk shown in FIG. 13, excess water is discharged from the drain port 1a.

FIG. 14 is a plan view when the tank lid shown in FIG. 11 is incorporated in the tank shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment XIV-XIV shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 15, the tank lid 2 has a partition wall 2b that divides the water stored in the tank 1 into a plurality of compartments, and a joint wall 2a that is coupled to the side wall of the tank 1. Each compartment is provided with a vent 2c at the top to allow air to escape. The angle θw formed by the surface of the lower portion of the partition wall 26 in contact with the tank 1 (bottom surface of the tank 1) and the partition wall 2b is smaller than 90 ° in consideration of ice-removing property.

When the user fits the tank lid 2 into the tank 1 after supplying water to the tank 1, the volume of water that enters the water in the tank lid 2 overflows from the tank 1. At this time, when the tank lid 2 is completely fitted into the tank 1, the drain port 1a provided on the side wall of the tank 1 is covered with the connecting wall 2a of the tank lid 2. By blocking the drainage port 1a with the joint wall 2a, water leakage from the tank 1 is prevented. Let h0 be the height of the water collected in each section separated by the section wall 2b.

Next, the configuration of the controller 30 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the controller shown in FIG. The controller 30 has, for example, a memory and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown in the figure). The memory stores the program, and the CPU executes the program stored in the memory.

The controller 30 is connected to the refrigeration temperature sensor 41, the refrigeration temperature sensor 42, the temperature sensor 43, the operation unit 61, and the display unit 62 via a signal line. The controller 30 is connected to the blower 54, the compressor 52, and the ice-removing portion 65 via a control signal line. In the first embodiment, the ice-removing portion 65 is a driving device 3. The controller 30 includes a refrigerating cycle control means 31 for controlling the refrigerating cycle, an ice deicing control means 32 for controlling the deicing unit 65, and a timer 33 for measuring the time. The controller 30 is not limited to wired but may be wireless as a means of communicating with these sensors and devices. For example, the controller 30 may communicate with a sensor including the temperature sensor 43 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The refrigerating cycle control means 31 controls the blower 54 and the compressor 52 according to the refrigerating set temperature and the refrigerating set temperature input by the user via the operation unit 61. Specifically, in the refrigeration cycle control means 31, the air volume and compression of the blower 54 so that the detection value of the refrigeration temperature sensor 41 matches the refrigeration set temperature and the detection value of the refrigeration temperature sensor 42 matches the refrigeration set temperature. The operating frequency of the machine 52 is controlled.

The ice removal control means 32 operates the drive device 3 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature. Specifically, the ice removal control means 32 operates the motor of the drive device 3 and rotates the rotation axis Ax until the rotation angle θ reaches a predetermined angle θs.

Next, the operation of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a procedure of ice making operation performed by the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is an external perspective view showing a process in which a user inserts a tank into the support portion shown in FIG. FIG. 19 is an upper plan view when the ceiling plate is mounted on the support portion shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment XIX-XIX shown in FIG. In FIG. 20, for the sake of explanation, a support plate 5b that supports the tank 1 at the edge in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis arrow direction) of the tank 1 is shown. FIG. 21 is a graph showing time-series changes in the detected values of the temperature sensor in the ice making process of the first embodiment of the present invention. The vertical axis of FIG. 21 is the temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 43, and the horizontal axis of FIG. 21 is the time t.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 20, the support portion 5 has a frontage 5a on the front surface into which the tank 1 is inserted. After filling the tank 1 with water, the user mounts the tank lid 2 on the tank 1. Subsequently, the user inserts the tank 1 equipped with the tank lid 2 into the support portion 5 from the frontage 5a. The longitudinal direction of the tank 1 is fixed by the support plate 5b supporting the longitudinal edge of the tank 1 with the tank 1 inserted through the frontage 5a. Further, by overlapping the front end portion 1f of the tank 1 and the front end portion 5c of the support portion 5, the lateral direction of the front surface of the tank 1 is fixed. At this time, the first coupling portion 1c of the tank 1 and the second coupling portion 3a of the drive device 3 are fitted together. When the tank 1 is attached to the drive device 3 and the user closes the door 102a shown in FIG. 7, ice making is started.

The set temperature Ts shown in FIG. 21 is a temperature that serves as a criterion for determining whether or not ice making is completed. The set temperature Ts is set to a temperature at which each ice formed in a plurality of compartments separated by the tank lid 2 freezes to the center. The time t1 shown in FIG. 21 is the time when the user takes out the tank 1 from the support portion 5, and the time t2 is the time when the user stores the tank 1 filled with water in the support portion 5.

The ice making control means 32 determines that ice making has started at the time t2 when the temperature T starts to decrease after the temperature T detected by the temperature sensor 43 becomes larger than 0 ° C. The ice removal control means 32 activates the timer 33 at time t2. After the start of ice making, as shown in step S101 of FIG. 17, the ice removal control means 32 determines whether or not the temperature T becomes smaller than 0 ° C. When the temperature T becomes smaller than 0 ° C., the ice removal control means 32 determines whether or not the time tp measured by the timer 33 is smaller than the predetermined set time ter (step S102). As a result of the determination in step S102, when the measured time tp is shorter than the set time ter, the ice removal control means 32 determines that the tank 1 is not filled with water. In FIG. 21, the change in temperature T when the tank 1 is not filled with water is shown by a broken line. At time t3, the temperature T begins to drop from 0 ° C. This is because the tank 1 does not contain water to be cooled, so that the detected temperature T drops quickly.

In step S102, when the ice removal control means 32 determines that the tank 1 does not contain water, it notifies the user that the tank 1 does not contain water (step S103). For example, when the display unit 62 is provided with a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode that notifies the user that the tank 1 is not filled with water, the ice removal control means 32 lights the light emitting element.

In step S102 shown in FIG. 17, when the time tp is equal to or longer than the set time ter, the ice removal control means 32 determines whether or not the temperature T has reached the set temperature Ts (step S104). When the temperature T reaches the set temperature Ts, the ice making control means 32 determines that the ice making is completed and operates the driving device 3 (step S105). In the graph shown in FIG. 21, the temperature T reaches the set temperature Ts at time t4, and the ice removal operation is disclosed at time t4.

The drive device 3 rotates the rotation axis Ax until the rotation angle θ reaches the rotation angle θs under the control of the ice removal control means 32. As a result, the tank 1 is twisted about an axis parallel to the Y-axis arrow direction shown in FIG. 7. As described with reference to FIG. 7, in the tank 1, the front side (direction opposite to the Y-axis arrow) is fixed to the support portion 5, but the rear side (direction of the Y-axis arrow) is the tank lid 2 and the support portion 5. The space between them is wide. Therefore, the rotation of the tank 1 is restricted in the front, but the tank 1 is twisted about the rotation axis Ax in the rear.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the tank and the tank lid in the ice removal operation of step S105 shown in FIG. FIG. 22 shows, for example, a cross section of a plurality of sections closest to the drive device 3 among the sections divided by the partition wall 2b. Since the tank lid 2 does not follow the deformation of the tank 1, when the tank 1 is twisted, a gap is formed between the tank 1 and the tank lid 2, and ice peels off from the tank lid 2 and falls into the tank 1. At this time, if the twist angle θ is too large, the fallen ice will be caught between the tank lid 2 and the tank 1. Therefore, the ice removal control means 32 adjusts the rotation of the rotation shaft Ax of the drive device 3 so that the twist angle θ is equal to or less than the height of one ice cube h1 between the tank lid 2 and the tank 1. FIG. 21 shows a case where the drive device 3 starts the operation of twisting the tank 1 at the rotation angle θ around the rotation axis Ax at the time t4 and ends the operation at the time t5. The rotation about the rotation axis Ax may be either clockwise or counterclockwise, or both. By twisting the tank 1, the ice formed in the tank 1 is separated from the inner wall of the tank 1 and the inner wall of the tank lid 2.

Here, the set angle θs will be described. According to the law of nature, the volume increases when water freezes, but here it is considered that the height of one ice cube and the height h0 shown in FIG. 15 are similar. It is desirable that the set angle θs satisfies the condition of h1 ≦ h0. FIG. 23 is a schematic view for explaining the set angle in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 schematically shows the bottom surface of the tank 1 shown in FIG. 22. On the bottom surface of the tank 1, the length in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Ax (X-axis arrow direction) is L. In the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 23, the length of the inclined broken line is approximated to the value of (L / 2). As shown in FIG. 23, where the angle of rotation is θ, it is represented by sin θ = {h1 / (L / 2)} = (2 × h1 / L). Then, assuming that the rotation angle θ when h1 = h0 is the set angle θs, it is represented by sinθs = (2 × h0 / L). Therefore, if the ice removal control means 32 controls the drive device 3 so that the twist angle θ satisfies the condition of sin θ ≦ (2 × h0 / L), the gap h1 between the tank lid 2 and the tank 1 is equivalent to one ice cube. It will be below the height of.

In the procedure shown in FIG. 17, the ice removal control means 32 notifies the user that the ice making is completed after performing the ice removal operation in step S105 (step S106). For example, the ice removal control means 32 causes the display unit 62 to display a message indicating that ice making has been completed. When the operation panel 60 is provided with a buzzer, the ice removal control means 32 may output a sound to the buzzer of the operation panel 60 after performing the ice removal operation.

On the other hand, when the tank 1 is pulled out from the support portion 5 during ice making, the ice removal control means 32 causes the buzzer to output an alarm sound to notify the user that the ice is being made. At that time, the ice removal control means 32 may not only output an alarm sound to the buzzer but also display a message to the effect that ice making has not been completed on the display unit 62. Further, the ice removal control means 32 may light a light emitting element indicating that the ice making has not been completed on the display unit 62.

Further, the operation panel 60 may have a communication unit for communication connection with a network such as the Internet. In this case, the ice making control means 32 transmits information about ice making to a mobile terminal such as a user's smartphone via the communication unit and the network of the operation panel 60. In this case, the user is notified of information about ice making from the mobile terminal even if he / she is away from the refrigerator 100.

After the ice making is completed, the user can use the ice by taking out the tank 1 from the refrigerator 100 at an arbitrary timing and removing the tank lid 2 from the tank 1. Further, the refrigerator 100 has a plurality of tanks 1 used for ice making. In the first embodiment, two tanks, a tank 1 and a spare tank 12, are provided as tanks used for ice making. When one of the two tanks is installed in the support portion 5, the other tank is housed in the case 6.

Consider a case where the tank 1 during ice making is installed on the support portion 5, and the spare tank 12 for which ice making has been completed is stored in the case 6 and the user is using ice. In this state, when the ice in the spare tank 12 runs out, the user may transfer the ice-making completed tank 1 to the case 6, fill the spare tank 12 with water again, and install it in the support portion 5. In this way, when the ice in the tank stored in the case 6 runs out, the tank stored in the case 6 and the tank installed in the support portion 5 are replaced with each other, so that the user uses the ice while making ice. be able to. As a result, the ice-free time can be as short as possible.

The refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment has a tank 1 installed in a freezing temperature zone, a tank lid 2 that divides the water in the tank 1 into a plurality of parts, a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the water, and ice from the tank lid 2. It has an ice-removing portion 65 to be separated, a support portion 5, and a controller 30. The ice removal unit 65 is a drive device 3. The controller 30 includes the ice removal control means 32 that operates the drive device 3 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature.

According to the first embodiment, since the water accumulated in the tank installed in the freezing temperature zone is frozen and then the ice is removed, the water supply tank conventionally installed in the refrigerating temperature zone becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the volume occupied by the water supply tank does not reduce the volume of the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone, and the reduction of the stored matter stored in the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone is suppressed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user's ease of use for the refrigerator 100 from being reduced. Further, by reducing the number of parts, not only the maintainability of the user can be improved, but also a low-cost refrigerator with an automatic ice making function can be provided.

In a conventional refrigerator that automatically makes ice, a water supply tank and an ice tray are provided separately, and a water supply pipe that serves as a water supply path from the water supply tank to the ice tray and a driving component such as a pump for water supply are required. The manufacturing cost increases in proportion to the number of parts. In addition, since the water supply pipe is hollow to allow water to pass through, the air in the freezing temperature zone and the air in the refrigerating temperature zone pass through the water supply path at times other than when water flows through the water supply path. I can move. This causes the water temperature in the water supply tank to drop. Therefore, in the conventional refrigerator, it is necessary to provide a heater in the lower part of the water supply tank and in the vicinity of the water supply pipe so that the water in the water supply tank does not freeze, and energize the heater to warm the water in the water supply tank. As a result, the heater that heats the water in the water supply tank causes the power consumption of the refrigerator to increase. The heater heats the water supply tank and the water supply pipe according to the operating condition of the refrigerator, but when the heater overheats, more electric power may be consumed to cool the heat generated by the heater. Further, as described above, when air moves from the refrigerating temperature zone to the freezing temperature zone through the water supply pipe, moist warm air enters the ice making chamber, which causes a temperature rise and frosting in the ice making chamber.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the water supply tank is not provided, and the tank containing water is stored in the ice making chamber to make ice in the tank. Therefore, a water supply pipe connecting the ice making chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone and the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone becomes unnecessary. Since it is not necessary to make a hole in the heat insulating partition to install the water supply pipe, the heat insulating property is improved. In addition, heating by a heater for preventing the water in the water supply tank from freezing becomes unnecessary, and power consumption can be suppressed. In the first embodiment, since the ice tray, the pump and the heater are not required, both the direct material cost and the running cost of these parts can be suppressed.

Further, in a conventional refrigerator, when a user maintains an ice making device, it is necessary to disassemble, clean and assemble many parts such as a water supply tank, a water supply pipe and an ice tray. Therefore, the work becomes complicated. As a result, for example, when assembling the ice making device, problems such as the user mistakenly assembling the parts and the parts being lost may occur. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, since the water supply pipe and the water supply tank are not provided, the user can reduce the load of maintenance of the ice making device.

Conventionally, in a refrigerator that performs automatic ice making, when ice is formed in the ice tray, the ice tray is twisted and rotated, and ice is dropped from the ice tray into a case installed below the ice tray. Therefore, since the structure cannot be arranged in the rotation locus of the ice tray, at least the width of the ice tray is required as the height dimension of the ice making device.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the amount of twist of the tank corresponding to the ice tray is suppressed to one ice or less regardless of the width dimension of the ice tray. Therefore, even if the width of the tank is widened, the thickness of the ice making device may be as large as two ice pieces, so that the amount of ice that can be made at one time can be increased without changing the height of the ice making chamber. Further, even if the ice is dropped, the falling distance is short, so that the falling noise at the time of removing the ice can be reduced. Therefore, for example, even if the ice is removed in the middle of the night, the sound generated by the ice removal is less likely to be an unpleasant sound to the user.

Further, since the conventional refrigerator has a configuration in which the water supplied from the water supply tank is pumped, if all the water in the water supply tank does not become ice, water will remain in the water supply tank. In particular, in winter, if water is left in the water supply tank, it may cause water stains and mold. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, since all the water in the tank is stored as ice, it is possible to prevent the user from causing water stains and mold even if the ice is not used. The first embodiment can provide an ice making device that is hard to get dirty and easy for the user to clean, including that the water supply route is not provided.

Embodiment 2.
The refrigerator of the first embodiment has a configuration in which the tank is twisted to separate the ice from the tank, whereas the refrigerator of the second embodiment twists the tank lid to separate the ice from the tank. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the refrigerator including the ice making device of the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the ice making apparatus in the refrigerator according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 24 corresponds to an enlarged view of the broken line portion shown in FIG. 7 in the refrigerator 100 described in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 24, the tank lid 2 is provided with a first coupling portion 2d at a position where the tank 1 is housed in the support portion 5 and comes into contact with the drive device 3. .. The first joint portion 2d has a concave shape. The drive device 3 is provided with a second coupling portion 3a that is fitted into the first coupling portion 2d of the tank lid 2. The second joint portion 3a has a convex shape. In the drive device 3 shown in FIG. 24, the rotation of the motor (not shown) causes the second coupling portion 3a to rotate about the rotation axis Ax shown in FIG. As the second coupling portion 3a rotates, the first coupling portion 2d that fits with the second coupling portion 3a rotates.

In this way, the first coupling portion 2d and the second coupling portion 3a function as a coupling portion that transmits the driving force of the rotating shaft Ax to the tank 1 and the tank lid 2. FIG. 24 shows a case where the first joint portion 2d has a concave shape and the second joint portion 3a has a convex shape, but the first joint portion 2d has a convex shape and the second joint portion 3a has a concave shape. You may.

Since the other configurations of the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment are the same as the configurations described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 25. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the tank and the tank lid in the ice removal operation of step S105 shown in FIG. In the second embodiment, in the procedure shown in FIG. 17, the operations of steps S101 to S104 and steps S106 are the same as the operations described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the determination of step S104 shown in FIG. 17, when the temperature T reaches the set temperature Ts, the ice making control means 32 determines that the ice making is completed and operates the drive device 3 (step S105). The drive device 3 rotates the rotation axis Ax until the rotation angle θ reaches the rotation angle θs under the control of the ice removal control means 32. As a result, the tank lid 2 is twisted about an axis parallel to the Y-axis arrow direction shown in FIG. 7. The front of the tank 1 (in the direction opposite to the Y-axis arrow) is fixed to the support portion 5, but the space between the tank lid 2 and the support portion 5 is wide in the rear (direction of the Y-axis arrow). Therefore, the rotation of the tank 1 is restricted in the front, but the tank 1 is twisted about the rotation axis Ax in the rear as the tank lid 2 is twisted.

FIG. 25 shows, for example, a cross section of a plurality of sections closest to the drive device 3 among the sections divided by the partition wall 2b. The tank lid 2 is divided into a portion separated from the tank 1 and a portion pushed toward the tank 1 around the rotation shaft Ax. At the portion away from the tank 1, the partition wall 2b of the tank lid 2 is deformed to the open side, so that the ice is separated. On the other hand, in the portion pushed toward the tank 1, a force acts on the ice between the tip of the partition wall 2b and the tank 1, so that the connection between the adjacent ice can be broken.

The ice removal control means 32 controls the drive device 3 to rotate the tank lid 2 clockwise at a constant rotation angle, and then rotate it counterclockwise at a constant rotation angle. As a result, the ice can be separated from the tank 1 and the tank lid 2 while breaking the connection between the adjacent ice pieces over the entire surface of the tank 1.

Here, the set angle θs will be described. According to the law of nature, the volume increases when water freezes, but here it is considered that the height of one ice cube and the height h0 shown in FIG. 15 are similar. It is desirable that the set angle θs satisfies the condition of h2 ≦ h0. FIG. 26 is a schematic view for explaining the set angle in the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 schematically shows the bottom surface of the tank 1 shown in FIG. 25. On the bottom surface of the tank 1, the length in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis Ax (X-axis arrow direction) is L. FIG. 22 shows that the height h2 of the bottom surface of the partition wall 2b of the tank lid 2 is equal to or less than the height of one ice at the position of one ice from the right end of the tank 1. Here, the width of one ice piece in the direction of the X-axis arrow is defined as wi, and the width wi of one piece of ice is considered to be sufficiently smaller than the length L of the tank 1. That is, wi << L. Further, in the schematic view shown in FIG. 26, the length of the inclined broken line showing the bottom surface of the ice is approximated to the value of (L / 2).

When approximated in this way, the rotation angle θ shown in FIG. 26 is represented by sin θ = {h2 / (L / 2)} = (2 × h2 / L). Then, assuming that the rotation angle θ when h2 = h0 is the set angle θs, it is represented by sinθs = (2 × h0 / L). Therefore, if the ice removal control means 32 controls the drive device 3 so that the twist angle θ satisfies the condition of sin θ ≦ (2 × h0 / L), the gap h2 between the tank lid 2 and the tank 1 is equivalent to one ice cube. It will be below the height of.

The refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment has a tank 1 installed in a freezing temperature zone, a tank lid 2 that divides the water in the tank 1 into a plurality of parts, a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the water, and ice from the tank lid 2. It has an ice-removing portion 65 to be separated, a support portion 5, and a controller 30. The ice removal unit 65 is a drive device 3. The controller 30 includes the ice removal control means 32 that operates the drive device 3 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature. The tank lid 2 and the driving device 3 are connected by a coupling portion that transmits the driving force of the rotating shaft Ax to the tank lid 2. According to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, in the second embodiment, since it is not necessary to twist the tank 1, a metal such as aluminum can be selected as the material of the tank 1. By using metal as the material of the tank 1, the heat exchange rate between the tank 1 and the water inside the tank 1 is increased, and the ice making time can be shortened.

Embodiment 3.
The refrigerators of the first and second embodiments have a configuration in which a drive device is provided as an ice-removing portion, but the refrigerator of the third embodiment is provided with a heater as an ice-removing portion. In the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the refrigerator including the ice making device of the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 27 is an external perspective view showing an ice making unit in the refrigerator according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 28 is a plan view of the ice making unit shown in FIG. 27 when viewed from below. FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment XXVIII-XXVIII shown in FIG. 28.

As shown in FIG. 27, in the refrigerator 100 of the third embodiment, the drive device 3 described in the first and second embodiments is not provided on the support portion 5. In the third embodiment, a heater 7 for heating the surface of ice formed in the tank 1 is provided below the tank 1. In FIG. 27, the heater 7 is provided at a position in contact with the tank 1, but may be provided at a position close to the tank 1.

In the third embodiment, the ice-removing portion 65 shown in FIG. 16 is a heater 7. In the third embodiment, the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature. Since the other configurations of the refrigerator 100 of the third embodiment are the same as the configurations described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the refrigerator 100 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 30. FIG. 30 is a graph showing time-series changes in the detected values of the temperature sensor in the ice making process of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, in the procedure shown in FIG. 17, the operations of steps S101 to S104 and steps S106 are the same as the operations described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the temperature T reaches the set temperature Ts in step S104 shown in FIG. 17, the ice making control means 32 determines that the ice making is completed, and energizes the heater 7 in step S105. The heater 7 heats the tank 1 and the tank lid 2 under the control of the ice removal control means 32. As shown in FIG. 30, the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7 at time t4 for a certain period of time. The fixed time is, for example, a few minutes. In the third embodiment, since the heater 7 is used for the ice removal operation, the temperatures of the tank 1 and the tank lid 2 tend to rise even after the energization is completed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 30, the temperature T rises until the time t5 when the ice removal is completed as the temperature of the tank 1 changes.

In the ice removal operation in step S105 shown in FIG. 17, when the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7, the heater 7 connects the bottom surface of the tank 1 to the tank lid 2 from the contact portion between the tank 1 and the tank lid 2. Heat. As a result, the ice on the surface that comes into contact with the tank lid 2 is melted, and the ice is peeled off from the tank lid 2. When the ice removal operation is completed, the ice removal control means 32 notifies the user that the ice making is completed (step S106).

The refrigerator 100 of the third embodiment has a tank 1 installed in a freezing temperature zone, a tank lid 2 that divides the water in the tank 1 into a plurality of parts, a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the water, and ice from the tank lid 2. It has an ice-removing portion 65 to be separated, a support portion 5, and a controller 30. The ice-removing portion 65 is a heater 7 provided at the lower part of the tank 1. The controller 30 includes the ice removal control means 32 that energizes the heater 7 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature.

According to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained. Further, according to the third embodiment, since the driving device 3 is not required, the configuration of the ice making device can be made thinner than that of the refrigerators of the first and second embodiments.

Embodiment 4.
The refrigerator of the third embodiment has a configuration in which a heater is provided at the lower part of the tank as an ice-removing portion, but the refrigerator of the fourth embodiment is provided with a heater at the upper part of the support portion. In the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described in the first and third embodiments, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The configuration of the refrigerator including the ice making device of the fourth embodiment will be described. FIG. 31 is an external perspective view showing an ice making unit in the refrigerator according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 32 is a plan view of the ice making unit shown in FIG. 31 when viewed from above. FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the line segment XXXII-XXXII shown in FIG. 32.

In the refrigerator 100 of the fourth embodiment, the drive device 3 described in the first and second embodiments is not provided on the support portion 5. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 31, a heater 7 for heating the surface of ice formed in the tank 1 is provided above the support portion 5. In FIG. 31, the heater 7 is provided at a position in contact with the upper plate 5d of the support portion 5, but may be provided at a position close to the tank 1. Further, the temperature sensor 43 is provided on the upper plate 5d.

In the fourth embodiment, the ice-removing portion 65 shown in FIG. 16 is a heater 7. In the fourth embodiment, the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7 when the detected value of the temperature sensor 43 becomes lower than the set temperature. Since the other configurations of the refrigerator 100 of the fourth embodiment are the same as the configurations described in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the refrigerator 100 of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 30. In the fourth embodiment, in the procedure shown in FIG. 17, the operations of steps S101 to S104 and steps S106 are the same as the operations described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

When the temperature T reaches the set temperature Ts in step S104 shown in FIG. 17, the ice making control means 32 determines that the ice making is completed, and energizes the heater 7 in step S105. The heater 7 heats the tank 1 and the tank lid 2 under the control of the ice removal control means 32. As shown in FIG. 30, the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7 at time t4 for a certain period of time. The fixed time is, for example, a few minutes. In the fourth embodiment, since the heater 7 is used for the ice removal operation, the temperatures of the tank 1, the tank lid 2 and the upper plate 5d tend to rise even after the energization is completed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 30, the temperature T rises until the time t5 at which the ice removal is completed, as the temperature of the upper plate 5d changes.

In the ice removal operation in step S105 shown in FIG. 17, when the ice removal control means 32 energizes the heater 7, the heater 7 connects the upper surface of the tank lid 2 to the tank 1 from the contact portion between the tank 1 and the tank lid 2. Heat. As a result, the ice on the surface that comes into contact with the tank 1 is melted, and the ice is peeled off from the tank lid 2. When the ice removal operation is completed, the ice removal control means 32 notifies the user that the ice making is completed (step S106).

The refrigerator 100 of the fourth embodiment has a tank 1 installed in a freezing temperature zone, a tank lid 2 that divides the water in the tank 1 into a plurality of parts, a temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the water, and ice from the tank lid 2. It has an ice-removing portion 65 to be separated, a support portion 5, and a controller 30. The ice-removing portion 65 is a heater 7 provided above the support portion 5. According to the fourth embodiment, the same effect as that of the third embodiment can be obtained.

1 tank, 1a drain, 1b handle, 1c first joint, 1d side wall, 1f front end, 2 tank lid, 2a joint wall, 2b compartment wall, 2c vent, 2d first joint, 3 drive, 3a 2nd joint, 5 support, 5a frontage, 5b support plate, 5c front end, 5d top plate, 5e side plate, 6 cases, 7 heaters, 8 outlets, 10 ice making units, 11 ice making equipment, 12 spare tanks , 26 compartment wall, 30 controller, 31 refrigeration cycle control means, 32 ice removal control means, 33 timer, 41 refrigeration temperature sensor, 42 refrigeration temperature sensor, 43 temperature sensor, 51 cooler, 52 compressor, 53 heat dissipation pipe, 54 Blower, 60 Operation panel, 61 Operation unit, 62 Display unit, 65 Ice removal unit, 100 Refrigerator, 101 Refrigerator room, 101a door, 102 Ice making room, 102a door, 103 Switching room, 104 Freezer room, 105 Vegetable room, 111 Ceiling Plate, 120 insulation, Ax rotating shaft.

Refrigerator according to the present invention, Ru is installed in the freezing temperature zone, for detecting a tank for storing water, and Tank lid for partitioning the reservoir was water to the tank into a plurality of compartments, the temperature of the reservoir was water to the tank The temperature detected by the temperature sensor, the ice-removing portion that separates the ice made from the tank and the tank lid, the support portion that supports the tank, the tank lid, and the ice-removing portion, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor are higher than the set temperature. When it becomes low, it has a controller for operating the ice removal unit, and when the tank is stored in the storage chamber in the freezing temperature zone, ice is produced in the tank .

According to the present invention, the water supply tank conventionally installed in the refrigerating temperature zone becomes unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the volume of the storage chamber in the refrigerating temperature zone from being narrowed, and to suppress the reduction of the stored items to be stored.

Claims (12)

A tank installed in the freezing temperature zone to store water and
A tank lid that divides the water stored in the tank into a plurality of compartments, and
A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the water stored in the tank, and
An ice-removing part that separates the ice made from the tank and the tank lid,
A support portion that supports the tank, the tank lid, and the ice-removing portion,
When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes lower than the set temperature, the controller that operates the ice removal unit and the controller
Refrigerator with. The ice-removing portion is a drive device provided with a rotating shaft, and the rotation of the rotating shaft separates the ice from the tank from the inner wall of the tank lid and the inner wall of the tank.
The controller
1 The refrigerator described in. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the tank and the driving device are connected by a coupling portion that transmits the driving force of the rotating shaft to the tank. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein the tank lid and the driving device are connected by a joint portion that transmits the driving force of the rotating shaft to the tank lid. Assuming that the rotation angle of the rotation axis is θ, the height of ice formed in each section is h0, and the length of the bottom surface of the tank in the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis is L.
The refrigerator according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the ice removal control means rotates the rotation axis so as to satisfy the condition of sin θ ≦ (2 × h0 / L). The ice-removing portion is a heater that heats the surface of the ice.
The controller
The first aspect of the present invention has a deicing control means for energizing the heater when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes lower than the set temperature while the tank in which the water is accumulated is supported by the support portion. The listed refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the heater is provided at the lower part of the tank. The refrigerator according to claim 6, wherein the heater is provided on the upper portion of the support portion. The tank is provided with a drainage port at a certain height from the bottom surface.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein when the tank lid is fitted into the tank, the drain port is closed by the tank lid. It has multiple storage rooms, including an ice-making room that keeps the freezing temperature.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the support portion is provided on the ceiling of the ice making chamber and the side wall of the storage chamber. Having multiple tanks
It further has a case for storing a part of the tanks among the plurality of tanks.
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the tank in which ice making is completed is transferred from the support portion to the case. Has one or both of the display and buzzer,
The controller
The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein after operating the ice removal unit, the completion of ice making is notified via one or both of the buzzer and the display unit.

Images