KR100565633B1 - ice making apparatus in the refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an ice maker of the refrigerator which minimizes the outflow of cold air when the door is opened.

To this end, the present invention is a heat insulation case 60 is installed to communicate with the freezer compartment 51 in the refrigerator compartment door (54); An opening / closing device for opening the cold air passage communicating with the insulation case when closing the refrigerating compartment door, and closing the cold air passage when opening the refrigerating compartment door; An ice maker 63 installed inside the heat insulation case and discharging ice produced by cold air introduced through the ice making duct 71; An ice bank 64 for storing the ice discharged from the ice maker and discharging the stored ice; A dispenser 66 is provided below the ice bank and discharges the ice to the outside of the door.

Refrigerator, Ice Maker

Description

Ice making apparatus in the refrigerator

1 is a schematic view showing an ice maker of a conventional refrigerator.

Figure 2 is a side view schematically showing a state in which an ice maker is installed in the refrigerating compartment of Figure 1;

3 is a perspective view showing the structure of an ice maker constituting the ice making device of FIG.

4 is a front view showing an ice maker and an ice bank constituting the ice maker of FIG.

5 is an operating state diagram showing a state in which the ice produced in the ice maker of Figure 2 discharged to the ice bank.

Figure 6 is a schematic view showing an ice maker of the refrigerator according to the present invention.

7 is a configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of the opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice making duct in which the cold air flows in FIG.

8 is an operational state diagram showing the action of the opening and closing device when opening the refrigerating compartment door.

9 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice making duct in which the cold air flows in FIG.

10 is an operational state diagram showing the action of the opening and closing device when opening the refrigerating compartment door.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

51: freezer 52: cold storage room

53: far-on part 54: refrigerator compartment door

55: hinge member 60: heat insulation case

61: cold air inlet 63: ice maker

64: Ice Bank 65: Ice Suit

66: dispenser 67: damper

68: gasket 71: ice making duct

72: switching fan 81: opening and closing member

82,91a, 92a: rotating shaft 83: pressing member

84,95,96: elastic member 85,93a, 94a: roller

91: first opening and closing member 92: second opening and closing member

93: first pressing member 94: second pressing member

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an ice making apparatus of a refrigerator for minimizing leakage of cold air to the outside.

A typical refrigerator is divided into a freezer compartment and a refrigerator compartment. The refrigerator compartment keeps food and vegetables fresh and long at a temperature of about 3 ° C. to 4 ° C., and the freezer compartment keeps food such as meat and fish frozen at subzero temperatures.

Recently, various functions have been added to the refrigerator so that the user can conveniently use the function such as storing kimchi. The ice making machine described below is one such additional function.

Hereinafter, a conventional refrigerator will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an ice maker of a conventional refrigerator, FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing a state in which an ice maker is installed in a refrigerating chamber of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a structure of an ice maker constituting the ice maker of FIG. 2. 4 is a front view illustrating an ice maker and an ice bank constituting the ice maker of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an operation state diagram illustrating a state in which ice manufactured in the ice maker of FIG. 2 is discharged to an ice bank.

1 and 2, the refrigerator includes a freezing compartment 1 at a lower portion of the main body, and a refrigerating compartment 2 at an upper portion of the freezing compartment. The freezing compartment door 4 and the refrigerating compartment door 5 are respectively installed to open and close the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment. A far-on part 3 is installed to partition the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

An evaporator 6 is installed at the rear side of the lower part of the freezer compartment, and a blowing fan 7 is installed near the evaporator.

An ice making device is installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5.

The ice maker includes a heat insulating case 10, an ice maker 20, an ice bank 30, an ice chute 41, and a dispenser 42.

 The heat insulation case 10 is installed in the refrigerating compartment door 5. The insulation case blocks the heat exchange between the refrigerating compartment and the ice making space inside the insulation case.

An ice making duct 8 is installed in the far-on part 3 to communicate the freezing chamber 1 and the heat insulation case 10. In the ice making duct, a switching fan 9 is installed to blow cold air into the heat insulation case.

An ice maker 20 is installed above the inside of the insulation case, and an ice bank 30 is installed below the ice maker. In addition, an ice chute 41 which is a transfer path of ice is formed at a lower portion of the ice bank, and a dispenser 42 is provided at a lower portion of the ice chute.

3 and 4, the ice maker 20 is provided with an ice making chamber 21 in which ice is generated, and a water supply unit 23 formed at one side of the ice making chamber to supply water to the ice making chamber. . In this case, the partition rib 22 is formed to protrude upward at predetermined intervals so that the ice can be separated.

A motor device 24 is installed at one side of the ice making chamber. A motor is built in such a motor device, and an ejector 25 (ejector) is rotatably connected to a rotating shaft of the motor.

The ejector 25 is installed such that a rotating shaft crosses the ice making chamber 21, and a plurality of ejector pins 26 are installed at predetermined intervals on the rotating shaft of the ejector. At this time, each ejector pin is disposed for each section partitioned by the partition ribs 22.

The heater 27 (refer FIG. 5) is attached to the bottom surface of the ice-making chamber. The heater heats the surface of the ice making chamber for a short time to slightly melt the ice surface attached to the surface of the ice making chamber so that the ice can be easily separated from the ice making chamber.

The ice making machine 20 is provided with an ice-covering arm 28 to measure the amount of ice filled in the ice bank 30.

In addition, the ice bank 30, the ice conveying means 31, the motor device 32, the ice grinder 33 and the ice discharger 36 is installed.

The ice transfer means 31 is formed in a spiral shape so as to cross the inside of the ice bank 30. This ice transport means is rotatably coupled to the motor device.

The ice grinder 33 is composed of a fixed blade 34 and a movable blade 35.

The fixed blade 34 is fixed to cross the inside of the housing, the movable blade 35 is installed at the end of the ice conveying means (31). Such movable blades are arranged between the stationary blades.

The ice discharger 36 is composed of a shutter (37) (shutter) is installed in the ice discharge port, and the solenoid 38 for opening and closing the ice discharge port.

Referring to the operation of the refrigerator configured as described above are as follows.

If the ice bank 30 determines that the ice bank 30 lacks ice, the blower fan rotates to supply cold air to the ice making duct 8. The cold air blown through the ice making duct 8 is moved into the heat insulation case 10 to ice the water supplied to the ice maker 20.

In addition, since the heat insulation case 10 is installed in the refrigerating chamber 2, the inside of the heat insulation case should maintain the temperature below zero so that ice does not melt. Therefore, when the temperature in the heat insulation case is out of the range of the temperature preset by the controller, the blower fan is operated to supply cold air into the heat insulation case.

When ice is manufactured in the ice maker 20, the ejector 25 is rotated by the motor device to discharge the ice produced in FIG. 5 to the ice bank 30.

At this time, the controller determines how much ice is filled in the ice bank by intermittently rotating the ice detection arm 28. The control unit stops or repeatedly performs ice production according to the determination, so that a predetermined amount of ice is filled in the ice bank 30.

At this time, when the user selects the crushed ice button, the ice of the ice bank 30 is discharged to the dispenser 66 in a crushed state by the action of the fixed blade 34 and the movable blade 35.

Alternatively, when the user selects the crushed ice button, the ice of the ice bank 30 is discharged to the dispenser without being crushed.

Accordingly, the user can selectively obtain the desired ice in the dispenser.

However, the conventional refrigerator has the following problems.

First, when the user opens the refrigerating compartment door while cold air is supplied to the heat insulation case, the cold air is still discharged through the ice making duct. Therefore, there is a problem that a large amount of cold air flows out.

Second, since the cold air discharge portion of the ice making duct is installed near the door, there is a problem that the cold air leakage is more severe when the door is open.

Third, since the cool air inside the heat insulation case is leaked to the outside when the door is opened, there is a problem that the temperature of the heat insulation case rises sharply.

Fourth, even after the door is closed, the temperature inside the refrigerating compartment and the insulation case should be lowered within a set temperature range, thereby increasing the power consumption of the refrigerator.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to minimize the outflow of cold air from the freezer compartment when the door is opened.

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The ice maker of the refrigerator of the present invention having the above object is an insulation case installed to communicate with the freezer compartment in the refrigerator compartment door; An ice making duct installed in a side wall surface of the refrigerating compartment or a far-on part partitioning the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, the one end communicating with the freezing compartment and the other end communicating with the insulated case; An opening / closing device mounted to a connection portion of the ice making duct and the heat insulating case to open the ice making duct in communication with the heat insulating case when the refrigerator door is closed, and to close the ice making duct when the refrigerator door is opened; An ice maker installed inside the insulation case and discharging ice produced by cold air introduced through the ice making duct; An ice bank for storing the ice discharged from the ice maker and discharging the stored ice; And a dispenser installed at a lower portion of the ice bank to discharge ice to the outside of the refrigerating compartment door.
In the present invention,
The switchgear is:
An opening / closing member installed in the discharge part of the ice making duct; A pressing member installed in the heat insulation case and pressurizing the opening / closing member installed in the discharge part of the ice making duct to close the refrigerating compartment door; And an elastic member installed to apply a restoring force to the opening and closing member.
In the present invention, the end of the pressing member is characterized in that the roller is installed so as to rotate when pressing the opening and closing member.
In the present invention, the opening and closing device comprises: a first opening and closing member installed on the ice making duct; A second opening / closing member installed at a cold air inlet port through which cold air is sucked from the ice making duct of the thermal insulation case; A first pressing member installed in the heat insulating case to press the first opening / closing member to open the ice making duct when the door is closed; A second pressing member installed in the ice making duct or the first opening / closing member to press the second opening / closing member to open the cold air inlet of the heat insulation case when the door is closed; And elastic members each installed to apply a restoring force to the first and second opening / closing members.
In the present invention, the end of the first and the second pressing member is characterized in that the rollers are respectively installed so as to rotate when pressing the corresponding opening and closing member.
Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10.

6 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an ice making device of a refrigerator according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the refrigerator includes a freezing compartment 51 and a refrigerating compartment 52. The far-on part 53 is installed to partition the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

A freezing compartment door (not shown) and a refrigerating compartment door 54 are installed to open and close the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment, respectively. The freezer compartment door and the refrigerating compartment door 54 are installed to be rotatable by the hinge member 55. This hinge member forms a rotating shaft of the door.

The refrigerator compartment door 54 is provided with an ice maker. The ice maker includes a heat insulation case 60, an ice maker 63, an ice bank 64, an ice chute 65 and a dispenser 66.

The heat insulation case 60 is installed in the refrigerating compartment door 54 so as to communicate with the freezing compartment 51. The heat insulation case is installed in communication with the freezing compartment 51 by the ice making duct 71.

The ice making duct 71 is installed on the side wall surface of the refrigerating chamber 52 as shown in FIG. 6. In addition, the ice making duct may be installed in the far temperature portion. At this time, the discharge portion of the ice making duct 71 is preferably installed near the refrigerator compartment door (54).

The ice making duct 71 is provided with a switching fan 72 to blow cold air into the heat insulation case 60.

The opening and closing device is installed to close the ice making duct 71 in communication with the heat insulating case 60 when closing the refrigerating compartment door 54, and to open the ice making duct 71 when opening the refrigerating compartment door.

Such opening and closing device is preferably installed in the connection portion of the ice making duct and the heat insulation case. This is to allow the opening and closing device to open and close the ice making duct 71 as the refrigerating compartment door 54 is opened and closed.

In addition, a gasket 67 is installed at the connection portion between the ice making duct 71 and the heat insulation case 60 to seal the cold air. The gasket is installed to surround the discharge port of the ice making duct or the suction port of the insulation case.

An ice maker 63, an ice bank 64, and an ice chute 65 are installed in the insulation case 60, and the dispenser 66 is connected to the ice chute.

For example, an ice maker 63 is installed above the inside of the heat insulation case, and an ice bank 64 is installed below the ice maker. In addition, an ice chute 65 that is an ice transfer passage is formed below the ice bank, and a dispenser 66 is provided below the ice chute.

Since the structures of the ice maker, the ice bank, the ice chute and the dispenser are almost the same as those described in the related art, a description thereof will be omitted.

A first embodiment of the opening and closing device constituting the ice making device will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an opening and closing device for opening and closing an ice making duct in which cold air flows in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is an operation state diagram illustrating an operation of the opening and closing device when opening a refrigerating compartment door.

The opening and closing device is configured to include an opening and closing member 81, the pressing member 83 and the elastic member 84.

The opening / closing member 81 is installed at the discharge portion of the ice making duct 71, and the pressing member 83 is installed at the heat insulation case 60. The pressing member 83 presses the opening / closing member 81 to open the ice making duct when the door is closed. In addition, the elastic member 84 is installed to apply a restoring force to the opening and closing member (81).

At this time, the opening and closing member 81 is installed near the rotation shaft of the refrigerating compartment door 54, the pressing member 83 is preferably installed to correspond to the opening and closing member. This is because in the refrigerating compartment, the rotation axis of the refrigerating compartment door is the least utilized and visually the least visible part.

The end of the pressing member 83 is preferably provided with a roller 85 so as to be rotatable. This roller 85 is rotated when the pressing member 83 presses the opening and closing member 81. Therefore, the roller can prevent the opening and closing member from being scratched, and also allows the opening and closing member to be opened more smoothly.

In addition, the opening and closing member 81 is installed to be rotatable, and the pressing member 83 is installed such that its end portion faces the opening and closing member 81. Here, it is understood that the opening and closing member may be variously changed as well as the structure of opening and closing the ice making duct while being rotated.

The pressing member 83 is preferably installed opposite the rotating shaft 82 of the opening and closing member. This is because the length of the pressing member can be reduced. This is because the opening radius of the ice making duct 71 can be secured by relatively increasing the rotation radius of the opening / closing member 81 as compared with pressing the opposite side of the rotating shaft 82 of the opening / closing member.

The pressing member 83 is fixed by a fastening member such as a bolt to the cold air inlet 61 of the heat insulation case or one side of the opening and closing member side of the heat insulation case.

In addition, the opening and closing member 81 is formed in a panel shape. Of course, the opening and closing member may be variously changed according to the shape of the discharge portion of the ice making duct and the shape of the pressing member.

On the other hand, the elastic member 84 is installed on the rear side of the opening and closing member 81 as shown in FIG.

In addition, the elastic member may be installed on the rotating shaft of the opening and closing member (see installation structure of the elastic member of Figure 9). At this time, one end of the elastic member is fixed to the opening and closing member and the other end is fixed near the rotation axis.

The operation of the first embodiment of the opening and closing member configured as described above will be described.

When the refrigerating compartment door 54 is closed, the pressing member 83 fixed to the heat insulation case 60 presses the opening / closing member 81. At this time, the roller 85 of the pressing member is rotated while sliding along one surface of the opening and closing member 81.

Subsequently, the opening and closing member 81 opens the discharge port of the ice making duct so that the ice making duct 71 and the heat insulation case 60 communicate with each other. Accordingly, cold air flows into the heat insulation case 60 to freeze water in the ice maker 20 and to prevent the ice contained in the ice bank 30 from melting.

 The cold air is prevented from leaking into the refrigerating chamber by the gasket 67 provided between the discharge port of the ice making duct and the heat insulation case.

When the refrigerating compartment door 54 is opened, the pressing member 83 is separated from the opening and closing member 81 as the refrigerating compartment door is opened. In this case, the opening and closing member 81 closes the discharge portion of the ice making duct as shown in FIG. 8 by the restoring force of the elastic member 84. Accordingly, when the refrigerating compartment door is opened, it is possible to prevent cold air from being discharged.

A second embodiment of the opening and closing device constituting the ice making device will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram showing a second embodiment of the opening and closing device for opening and closing the ice making duct in which cold air flows in FIG. 6, and FIG. 10 is an operation state diagram showing the operation of the opening and closing device when opening the refrigerating compartment door.

Referring to FIG. 9, the opening and closing device includes first and second opening and closing members 91 and 92, first and second pressing members 93 and 94, and elastic members 95 and 96.

The first opening / closing member 91 is installed in the ice making duct 71, and the second opening / closing member 92 is installed at the cold air inlet of the heat insulation case 60.

The first pressing member 93 is installed in the heat insulating case 60. The first pressing member 93 presses the first opening / closing member 91 when the door is closed to open the ice making duct through which cold air flows.

The second pressing member 94 is installed in the ice making duct 71 or the first opening / closing member 91. The second pressurizing member 94 presses the second opening / closing member 92 when the refrigerating compartment door is closed to open the cold air inlet of the heat insulation case 60.

As such, the first opening / closing member 91, the first pressing member 93, the second opening / closing member 92, and the second pressing member 94 are installed at positions facing each other.

The elastic members 95 and 96 are respectively installed to apply a restoring force to the first and second opening and closing members 91 and 92.

In this case, the first and second opening and closing members 91 and 92 are installed near the rotation shaft of the refrigerating compartment door 54, and the first and second pressing members 95 and 96 are installed to correspond to the opening and closing member. Do.

More preferably, the first and second pressing members 93 and 94 are installed opposite the rotating shafts 91a and 92a of the opening / closing member.

It is preferable that rollers 92a and 94a are respectively provided at the end portions of the first and second pressing members 93 and 94 so as to rotate when pressing the opening / closing members.

The first and second opening and closing members 91 and 92 are rotatably installed, respectively, and the first and second pressing members 93 and 94 are respectively installed such that their ends thereof face the corresponding opening and closing members.

For example, the first opening / closing member 91 is provided with a rotating shaft 91a on the hinge member side, and the second opening / closing member 92 is provided with a rotating shaft 92a on the opposite side of the hinge member. In addition, a first pressing member 93 is provided on the opposite side of the first opening and closing member, and a second pressing member 94 is installed on the opposite side of the second opening and closing member.

The first and second opening and closing members 91 and 92 are formed in a panel shape.

Meanwhile, the elastic members 95 and 96 are installed on the rotation shafts 91a and 92a of the first and second opening and closing members, respectively, as shown in FIG. 9. At this time, one end of the elastic member is fixed to each opening and closing member and the other end is fixed near the rotation axis.

In addition, although not shown, the elastic member may be installed on the rear side of the opening and closing member.

The operation of the second embodiment of the opening and closing member configured as described above will be described.

When the refrigerating compartment door 54 is closed, the first and second pressing members 93 and 94 press the opening / closing member. At this time, the rollers (93a, 94a) of each pressing member is rotated while sliding along one surface of the opening and closing member.

Subsequently, the first opening / closing member 91 opens the discharge port of the ice making duct 71 as shown in FIG. 9. At the same time, the second opening and closing member 92 opens the suction port of the heat insulation case 60 to communicate the ice making duct 71 and the heat insulation case 60.

Accordingly, cold air flows into the heat insulation case to freeze water in the ice maker and to prevent the ice contained in the ice bank from melting.

In addition, cold air is prevented from leaking into the refrigerating chamber 52 by the gasket 67 provided between the discharge portion of the ice making duct 71 and the heat insulation case 60.

When the refrigerating compartment door is opened, the first and second pressing members 93 and 94 are separated from each opening and closing member 91 and 92 as the refrigerating compartment door 54 is opened.

In this case, the first opening and closing member 91 closes the discharge port of the ice making duct 71 as shown in FIG. 10 by the restoring force of the elastic member 95. Accordingly, when the refrigerating compartment door is opened, it is possible to prevent cold air from being discharged.

At the same time, the second opening and closing member 92 closes the suction port of the heat insulating case 60 by the restoring force of the elastic member 96. Accordingly, even when the refrigerating compartment door is opened, it is possible to prevent the cold air of the heat insulation case 60 from being discharged to the outside.

As described above, the ice maker of the refrigerator according to the present invention has the following effects.

First, when the refrigerating compartment door is opened, the ice making duct is closed to block the cooling air from the ice making duct to the outside.

Second, there is an effect that can minimize the power consumption for cooling the refrigerator compartment and the ice making space to a predetermined temperature by minimizing the loss of cold air.

Third, in the ice making apparatus structure in which the cold air discharge portion of the ice making duct is installed close to the door, it is possible to compensate for the disadvantage that the cold air outflow becomes more severe when the refrigerating compartment door is opened.

Fourth, when the refrigerating compartment door is opened, by closing the suction port of the heat insulating case, there is an effect that can prevent the cold air of the heat insulating case outflow.

Fifth, mechanically opening and closing the ice making duct when opening and closing the freezer compartment door does not require installation of a separate electric and electronic device. Therefore, there is an effect that can reduce the manufacturing cost of the product while high-quality product. In addition, there is an effect that can reduce the power consumption.

Claims (6)

An insulation case installed in the refrigerating compartment door so as to communicate with the freezing compartment; An ice making duct installed in a side wall surface of the refrigerating compartment or a far-on part partitioning the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, the one end communicating with the freezing compartment and the other end communicating with the insulated case; An opening / closing device mounted to a connection portion of the ice making duct and the heat insulating case to open the ice making duct in communication with the heat insulating case when the refrigerator door is closed, and to close the ice making duct when the refrigerator door is opened; An ice maker installed inside the insulation case and discharging ice produced by cold air introduced through the ice making duct; An ice bank for storing the ice discharged from the ice maker and discharging the stored ice; And, And a dispenser installed at a lower portion of the ice bank to discharge ice to the outside of the refrigerating compartment door. delete The method of claim 1, The switchgear is: An opening / closing member installed in the discharge part of the ice making duct; A pressing member installed in the heat insulation case and pressurizing the opening / closing member installed in the discharge part of the ice making duct to close the refrigerating compartment door; And, An elastic member installed to act on the restoring force to the opening and closing member: ice making apparatus of the refrigerator comprising a. The method of claim 3, The ice maker of the refrigerator, characterized in that the roller is installed on the end of the pressing member to rotate when pressing the opening and closing member. The method of claim 1, The switchgear is: A first opening / closing member installed in the ice making duct; A second opening / closing member installed at a cold air inlet port through which cold air is sucked from the ice making duct of the thermal insulation case; A first pressing member installed in the heat insulating case to press the first opening / closing member to open the ice making duct when the door is closed; A second pressing member installed in the ice making duct or the first opening / closing member to press the second opening / closing member to open the cold air inlet of the heat insulation case when the door is closed; And, An icemaker of a refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises an elastic member: respectively installed to apply a restoring force to the first and second opening and closing members. The method of claim 5, The ice maker of the refrigerator, characterized in that rollers are installed at the end portions of the first and second pressing members so as to rotate when pressing the corresponding opening / closing member.

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