KR101163313B1 - Water purifier having ice maker - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water purifier having an ice making device. A water purifier having an ice maker according to one aspect, the ice maker for generating ice; And an ice extracting unit for extracting the ice generated by the ice making apparatus, wherein the ice making apparatus comprises an ice making tray forming an ice making space in which ice is generated, and an ice removing means for removing ice generated in the ice making tray. , A water flow device for flowing the water stored in the ice tray.

Description

Water purifier with ice maker {Water purifier having ice maker}

The present invention relates to a water purifier having an ice making device.

The water purifier is a device for purifying raw water by filters or membranes and storing the raw water in a storage tank and taking in the water stored in the storage tank. Such water purifiers typically allow for selective intake of cold and hot water. Such water purifiers can be broadly divided into activated carbon adsorption, filtration, ultra-filter (UF), nano-filter (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.

Such a water purifier may simply supply water to supply cold water and hot water, or supply ice according to a user's needs.

The water purifier capable of supplying ice includes an ice making device, an ice storage container for storing the ice iced by the ice making device, and an ice transfer device provided inside the ice storage container and transferring the ice to discharge the ice to the outside.

By the way, according to the conventional water purifier, opaque white ice was produced due to the bubbles contained in the water and the supercooling of the water in the process of producing ice.

Therefore, although an ice making device for ice making transparent ice has been devised, the conventional transparent ice ice making device generates ice in a manner in which ice grows from a finger, which is difficult to apply in a cell ice making tray structure.

An object of the present invention relates to a water purifier having an ice making device capable of making transparent ice.

The present invention for achieving the above object, the filter means for purifying the raw water, the purified water tank, cold water tank and hot water tank for storing the purified water by the filter means, and cooling the purified water stored in the cold water tank to a low temperature A water purifier comprising a compressor, a cooling means including a condenser, a heating means for heating the purified water stored in the hot water tank to a high temperature, and an ice making means for receiving purified water from the purified water tank. A manifold installed at one side of the ice making tray to supply ice making water to the ice making tray; An ice making tray having an ice making space divided into predetermined sizes so as to make ice making water supplied by the manifold in a predetermined size and shape; An EVA provided on a bottom surface of the ice making tray and transferring the cooling heat of the compressor to the ice making tray; A compressed air generator for generating compressed air causing a flow of ice making water stored in said ice making tray; A connection pipe for transferring the compressed air generated in the compressed air to the ice making tray; And an ejector positioned above one side of the ice making tray and ejecting compressed air to a surface of the ice making water stored in the ice making tray.

The ice making means may include: a manifold installed at one side of the ice making tray to supply ice making water to the ice making tray; An ice making tray having an ice making space divided into predetermined sizes so as to make ice making water supplied by the manifold in a predetermined size and shape; An EVA provided on a bottom surface of the ice making tray and transferring the cooling heat of the compressor to the ice making tray; A blower fan provided on one side of the ice making tray and configured to suck surrounding air and discharge the air in one direction; And a discharge guide provided at the discharge port side of the blower fan to guide the flow of air.

According to the present invention as described above, bubbles may escape from the water due to the flow of water, and since a part of the water is prevented from being overcooled, transparent ice may be generated.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a water purifier having an ice maker according to the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the water purifier with an ice making device according to the present invention.
3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the ice tray and the transparent water flow apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ice making device and a water flow device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the spirit of the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown and that those skilled in the art, upon reading and understanding the spirit of the invention, may easily suggest other embodiments within the scope of the same concept.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a water purifier having an ice making device according to the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of a water purifier having an ice maker according to the present invention.

Referring to these drawings, the water purifier 1 employing the present invention includes a main body 10 forming a skeleton. The main body 10 includes a front upper panel 12, a front lower panel 13, a drip tray 14, a top cover 11, and a side cover 16.

The front upper panel 12 is provided with a water outlet 22 for taking hot and cold water, a water outlet button 200, an ice outlet 22 ′ and an ice outlet button 200 ′. do.

In addition, the front upper panel 12 is provided with a control unit 15 provided with a button and a display window for the user to control the operation and function of the water purifier 1.

The drip tray 14 is provided below the water extraction button 200 and the ice extraction button 200.

The main body 10 includes a plurality of filters 31 for filtering raw water supplied, a purified water tank 50 for receiving purified water through the filter 31, and purified water from the purified water tank. Cold water tanks (not shown) and hot water tanks (not shown) are provided for receiving water and storing cooled or heated water, respectively.

A depression is formed in the front upper panel, and the water extraction unit 22, the water extraction button 200, the ice extraction unit 22 ′, and the ice extraction button 200 ′ are provided in the depression.

Hot or cold water may be taken out by selecting the water extraction button 200.

Referring to FIG. 2, the main body 10 includes a plurality of plates 36 for mounting a plurality of components and a plurality of main frames 35 to which the plurality of plates 36 are connected. The plurality of main frames 35 extend in the vertical direction.

The main body 10 includes a condenser 33, a compressor 32, an evaporator (to be described later), an expander (not shown), and a filter for filtering foreign substances from raw water supplied to form a circulation cycle of a refrigerant for cold water extraction. 31 and an ice box 40 for generating and storing ice.

In detail, the condenser 33 is located at the edge of the main body 10 to condense the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 32.

In addition, the filter 31 is provided at a lower side of the main body 10, and the purified water passing through the filter 31 is collected in a water purification tank 50 provided at an upper side of the main body 10 through a pipe. do.

The purified water collected in the purified water tank 50 is taken out by hot water heated to a predetermined temperature by the heating means and cold water cooled to low temperature according to the needs of the user.

And, the ice box 40 is provided with an ice making device for producing ice.

Hereinafter, the structure of the ice making apparatus will be described in detail.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the ice tray and the transparent water flow apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is an ice making according to an embodiment of the present invention Partial cross section of the device and water flow device.

3 to 5, the ice making apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an ice making apparatus for supplying water, and ice making water provided from the manifold 110 with ice having a predetermined shape and size. A tray 120, a lower side of the ice tray 120, an evaporator 150 for cooling the water stored in the ice tray 120, and a defrost to defrost ice iced in the ice tray 120. Ice means 130, the ice removal guide 140 for guiding the ice removing operation of the ice removing means 130, the ice removing means control device 101 for controlling the operation of the ice removing means 130, and ice making It includes a water flow device 170 for flowing the water contained in the tray, and a defrost water tray 160 for receiving the defrost water falling down the ice tray (120).

In detail, the ice making tray 120 includes one or more partition guides 121 forming a plurality of ice making spaces for generating a plurality of ice.

The ice removing means 130 allows the ice formed in the ice making tray 120 to be separated from the ice making tray 120 by a rotation operation. The ice removing means 130 includes a rotating shaft and a plurality of extension parts extending from the rotating shaft. The plurality of extensions may be provided in the same number as the number of ice making spaces.

The ice removing guide 140 guides the movement of the ice separated from the ice making tray 120.

The defrost water tray 160 accommodates defrost water generated by melting frost generated around the ice tray 120 when the ice tray 120 repeats cooling. Therefore, the defrost water can be prevented from flowing into the internal parts of the main body.

Meanwhile, the evaporator 150 is disposed between the ice making tray 120 and the defrost water tray 160. That is, the evaporator 150 is located below the ice tray 120.

The evaporator 150 is disposed along an edge of the bottom surface of the ice making tray 120 so as to be in contact with the bottom of the ice making tray 120 to perform heat transfer.

As the low temperature refrigerant of the evaporator 150 and the ice making tray 120 exchange heat, the water contained in the ice making tray 120 is changed to ice.

Meanwhile, the water flow device 170 blows air into the ice making space of the ice making tray 120 and flows water stored in the ice making tray 120 to generate transparent ice in the ice making tray 120. Make this possible.

The water flow device 170, the air pump 171 for blowing compressed air, a connecting pipe 172 connected to the air pump 171, the distribution unit 173 is connected to the connecting pipe 172. ) Is included. The distribution unit 173 includes a plurality of air discharge units 174. The number of the plurality of air discharge parts 174 is provided equal to the number of the plurality of ice making spaces. The connecting pipe 172 and the distribution unit 173 may be called an air guide.

The plurality of air discharge parts 174 are positioned adjacent to the ice making tray 120 to allow the compressed air to be discharged to the surface of the water accommodated in the ice making tray 120. The plurality of air discharge parts 174 are spaced apart from each other by dividing the ice making space in a vertical direction. The reason for this is to allow the flow of water in the ice making tray 120 by the compressed air.

At this time, the plurality of air discharge portions 174 extend downward from the distribution portion 173.

Due to the compressed air discharged as described above, the surface layer portion of the ice-making water is flowed in one direction, so that the water flow as shown in FIG. 5 occurs. This flow shakes the water, causing bubbles to escape from the water, resulting in clear and clean ice.

Referring to FIG. 5, the compressed air discharged through the air discharge unit 174 causes the water of the ice making tray 120 to flow in one direction of the surface layer portion, and thus, the ice making water may be moved due to the rising and moving principle of sea water. Will make the overall flow in the direction of the arrow.

Due to this flow, bubbles can escape from the water and a portion of the water can be prevented from being overcooled, resulting in transparent ice.

6 is a view showing a water flow apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 is a view showing the flow of air and water according to the water flow apparatus of FIG.

6 and 7, the water induction apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a fan 170 ′ for blowing air and a discharge guide 171 ′ for guiding discharge of the air.

When air flows by the fan 170 ′, the discharge guide 171 ′ guides it in a direction inclined downward to the surface of the ice making tray 120.

Meanwhile, a guide rib 172 'is formed in the discharge guide 171' to divide and discharge the air flow in a one-to-one correspondence with the ice making space of the ice making tray 120.

The guide rib 172 'guides the air uniformly to each ice making space.

According to the above embodiments, the air pump or the compressor blown by the fan is discharged to the ice making space through a separate pipe or discharge guide, otherwise the air pump or fan is in communication with the ice removing means, Air may be discharged from the defrosting means to the ice making space. In this case, a plurality of discharge holes may be formed in the rotation shaft of the ice removing means, or discharge holes may be formed in each of the plurality of extension parts.

* Brief description of reference numbers
1 ...... Water Purifier 10 ..... Main Unit
100 .... Ice machine 120 .... Ice tray
130 .... Defrosting means 170,170 '.. water flow

Claims (8)

An ice making device for producing ice; And
Includes an ice extraction unit for taking out the ice generated in the ice making device,
The ice making apparatus includes an ice making tray forming an ice making space in which ice is generated;
De-ice means for de-icing the ice produced in the ice tray,
A water purifier having an ice making device including a water flow device for flowing water stored in the ice making tray.
The method of claim 1,
The water flow device is a water purifier having an ice making device for generating an air flow to blow air into the water stored in the ice making tray.
The method of claim 1,
The water flow device, and the air pump for compressing air,
An air guide for guiding compressed air,
A water purifier having an ice making device including an air discharge part for discharging air to the ice making space.
The method of claim 3, wherein
The air discharge unit is provided with an ice making device extending downward from the air guide toward the ice making space.
The method of claim 1,
The water flow apparatus, and a fan for blowing air,
And a discharge guide for guiding air to the ice-making space.
The method of claim 5, wherein
And a plurality of ice making spaces formed in the ice making tray, and a discharge rib formed in the discharge guide to guide ribs for guiding air to each of the plurality of ice making spaces.
The method of claim 1,
The water flow apparatus includes an air pump for compressing air or a fan for blowing air,
The air pump or the fan is in communication with the ice removing means,
And a deicing device for discharging air from the defrosting means to the ice making space.
The method of claim 7, wherein
The detaching means includes a rotating shaft and an extension part extending from the rotating shaft,
A water purifier having an ice making device in which a discharge hole through which air is discharged is formed in the rotary shaft or the extension part.

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