KR102138355B1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet including a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment provided below the refrigerator compartment; A door which is rotatably connected to the front surface of the cabinet to open and close the refrigerator compartment, and has a storage compartment for storing ice; An ice bank disposed in the ice storage chamber to store ice; And an ice maker mounted in the freezer, and an ice-making assembly including an ice transfer device for transferring ice made by the ice maker to the ice bank, wherein the ice maker includes an upper tray forming a hemispherical upper cell. , A refrigerator comprising a lower tray forming a hemispherical lower cell and a rotating shaft rotating the lower tray, a housing in which an ice collection unit in which ice separated from the ice maker is collected is formed; A first transport device for pushing ice collected in the ice collection unit; A first conveying duct guiding ice conveyed by the first conveying device to a side portion of the cabinet; A second transfer duct provided on the door and receiving ice moving along the first transfer duct to guide the ice bank; A second transfer device that transfers ice transferred from the first transfer duct to the second transfer duct to the ice bank; It is provided in the second transfer duct and is inserted into the first transfer duct when ice is transferred to the ice bank along the second transfer duct, preventing the transferred ice from being reversely transferred to the first transfer duct. It includes a reverse transport blocking device.

Description

Refrigerator {Refrigerator}

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

Generally, a refrigerator is a household appliance that allows food to be stored at a low temperature in an internal storage space shielded by a door.

The recently released refrigerator is provided with an ice-making apparatus for making ice, and the ice-making apparatus is provided in a freezer or a refrigerator according to a refrigerator model. The bottom freeze type refrigerator in which the refrigerating chamber is disposed above the freezing chamber includes a revolving refrigerator door and a drawer type refrigerator door. In addition, depending on the refrigerator model, the ice-making apparatus may be mounted in the refrigerator compartment or the refrigerator compartment door, or in the freezer compartment.

As shown in Korean Patent Application No. 2011-0091800 filed by the applicant of the present invention, an ice maker is provided in a freezer, and an ice bank storing ice is proposed in a refrigerator. In this type of refrigerator, a transport mechanism for transporting ice made by an ice maker to an ice bank is required, and spherical ice is manufactured in an ice maker for smooth transport of ice.

On the other hand, in the case of the ice making assembly having such a structure, the distance from the ice maker to the ice bank is considerably long, and there is a disadvantage in that noise is generated in the process of transporting ice. And, in order to transfer ice from the ice maker to the ice bank at a time, a transfer device having a large driving force must be provided.

In addition, in the case of the ice making apparatus proposed in the published patent application, the ice falling to the conveying member is pushed by the rotation of the conveying member to move to the ice bank along the ice suit. Therefore, when ice is first made, since the ice is not delivered to the ice bank until the ice is full inside the ice chute, there is a disadvantage in that it takes some time for the user to take out the ice and eat it.

In addition, in order for ice to be discharged from the ice chute and drop into the ice bank, ice must always be filled in the ice chute, i.e., the ice transport path, and the newly formed ice is conveyed by the conveying member, so that the ice in front is ice. You can fall to the bank.

In the case of such a structure, since ice must always be filled on the ice transport path, ice that is in contact with each other on the ice transport path may melt and stick together. In addition, when ice is entangled with each other, there is a problem that ice transport is not smoothly performed, and ice may not fall from the ice suit to the ice bank.

In addition, if the ice is not transported smoothly, there is a problem that an overload is applied to the transport motor that rotates the transport member, resulting in an increase in power consumption.

The present invention is proposed to improve the above problems.

A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a cabinet having a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment provided below the refrigerator compartment; A door which is rotatably connected to the front surface of the cabinet to open and close the refrigerator compartment, and has a storage compartment for storing ice; An ice bank disposed in the ice storage chamber to store ice; And an ice maker mounted in the freezer, and an ice-making assembly including an ice transfer device for transferring ice made by the ice maker to the ice bank, wherein the ice maker includes an upper tray forming a hemispherical upper cell. , A refrigerator comprising a lower tray forming a hemispherical lower cell and a rotating shaft rotating the lower tray, a housing in which an ice collection unit in which ice separated from the ice maker is collected is formed; A first transport device for pushing ice collected in the ice collection unit; A first conveying duct guiding ice conveyed by the first conveying device to a side portion of the cabinet; A second transfer duct provided on the door and receiving ice moving along the first transfer duct to guide the ice bank; A second transfer device that transfers ice transferred from the first transfer duct to the second transfer duct to the ice bank; It is provided in the second transfer duct and is inserted into the first transfer duct when ice is transferred to the ice bank along the second transfer duct, preventing the transferred ice from being reversely transferred to the first transfer duct. It includes a reverse transport blocking device.

Here, the second transfer device, the transfer cable; A pusher connected to an end of the transfer cable; And a transfer case in which the transfer cable is wound and accommodated therein.

In addition, the second transfer duct includes a main duct having an inlet end connected to a transfer chute of the second transfer device, a discharge port connected to the ice storage chamber, and a sub duct extending from any point of the main duct. .

In addition, the reverse transfer blocking device, a bracket fixed to the main duct, placed on the outside of the main duct, one end is selectively caught by the pusher through the main duct, the other end is inserted into the sub duct And a resilient member having one end connected to the bracket and the other end connected to the shutter.

In addition, the main duct is characterized in that a guide slit for guiding the movement of the shutter is formed in a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the main duct, and a hole through which the other end of the shutter is inserted is formed in the sub duct.

Meanwhile, when the pusher rises along the main duct, the shutter rises along the guide slit by the restoring force of the elastic member, so that the other end of the shutter is inserted into the sub duct.

In addition, the shutter is characterized in that it rises by the contraction length of the elastic member, or to the upper end of the slit.

In addition, when the pusher descends along the main duct, one end of the shutter is caught by the pusher, and the shutter descends together with the pusher, so that the other end of the shutter exits from the sub duct.

In addition, the shutter is characterized in that it is lowered until the pusher stops and is caught at the lower end of the slit.

As another example, the reverse transfer blocking device includes a damper rotatably connected to the inside of the sub-duct, and an elastic member connected to the rotation shaft of the damper to return the damper to its original position.

In addition, the damper is characterized in that it is installed at a point where the sub duct meets the main duct.

In addition, a plurality of cold air holes are formed in the damper.

In addition, the damper rotates by the load of ice transferred from the first transfer duct to the sub duct, so that the ice is guided to the main duct, and after the ice passes through the damper, the restoring force of the elastic member It characterized in that the damper is rotated in the direction to close the sub-duct.

In addition, the first transfer device, transfer cable; A pusher connected to an end of the transfer cable; And a transfer case in which the transfer cable is wound and accommodated therein.

According to the structure of the ice-making assembly of the refrigerator according to the embodiment of the present invention constituting the above configuration, there are advantages as follows.

First, the ice transfer section is divided into a refrigerator cabinet section and a refrigerator door section, and ice is transferred by a separate ice transfer device for each section, which is used to transfer ice from an ice maker to an ice bank with one transfer device. There is an advantage that less power is consumed than the power consumption.

Second, by providing the ice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention, whenever ice is made and separated from the ice maker, the separated ice can be transferred to the ice bank, so that the ice is not operated while the ice maker is not operating. Since there is no ice remaining on the transport path, there is an advantage that ice does not get stuck inside the transport path.

Third, since the ice does not get stuck on the ice transport path, there is an advantage that the overload of the transport motor does not occur.

Fourth, when transporting ice, since the transport chute covers the upper portion of the ice that has fallen toward the transport chute, there is an advantage in that the ice does not deviate from the ice transport path in the process of pushing the ice by the pusher.

Additionally, since the ice maker is mounted in the freezer, the size of the ice bank increases compared to the structure in which the ice maker and the ice bank are mounted on the refrigerator compartment door, and as a result, there is an advantage of storing a large amount of ice.

In addition, since the ice maker is mounted in the freezer, there is an advantage in that the amount of ice-making can be increased, the time required for ice-making can be reduced, and the power consumption for ice-making can be lowered compared to the case in the refrigerator.

In addition, since the ice maker is mounted in the freezer, the height of the dispenser provided on the front of the refrigerator compartment door can be further increased, and there is an advantage in that it is possible for user convenience.

In addition, since the ice maker is mounted in the freezer, it is possible to expand the storage space of the refrigerating chamber with high frequency of use, which increases the convenience of use.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the refrigerator provided with an ice-making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a partial perspective view showing the internal structure of a storage compartment equipped with an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view showing an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along II of FIG. 4;
6 is a view showing the internal structure of the transfer case constituting the ice transfer device.
7 is a view showing the operation of the ice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a rear view of a refrigerator compartment door provided with an ice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a perspective view of an ice transfer device mounted on the refrigerator compartment door.
10 is a cross-sectional view taken along II-II of FIG. 9;
11 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III of FIG. 9;
12 is a view showing a process in which ice is transferred from the freezer-side transfer device to the door-side transfer device.
13 is a view showing a state in which ice is transferred to the ice bank by the door-side transfer device.
14 and 15 are views showing a reverse transfer blocking device provided in the ice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a view showing an ice back transport blocking device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator equipped with an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal structure of a refrigerator equipped with an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention. Partial perspective view showing the internal structure of a storage compartment equipped with an ice making assembly according to an embodiment.

1 to 3, a refrigerator 10 equipped with an ice making assembly 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 11 having a refrigerating chamber 111 and a freezing chamber 112 therein, A pair of refrigerating compartment doors 12 and 13 that are rotatably coupled to the front surface of the cabinet 11 to open and close the refrigerating compartment 111, and the freezing compartment doors that open and close the freezing compartment 112 and are provided in a drawer type ( 16). In addition, a plurality of shelves 111a and a storage box 111b may be installed in the refrigerator compartment 111.

In addition, the refrigerator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided on the front of any one of the pair of refrigerator compartment doors 12 and 13, and further includes a dispenser 15 capable of taking out water or ice. do. In addition, the ice making assembly 30 is connected to the refrigerator compartment door 13 provided with the dispenser 15 by a flow path, and an ice storing compartment capable of storing ice on the rear surface of the refrigerator compartment door 13. 171 is provided. In addition, the ice storage chamber 171 is selectively opened and closed by the ice storage chamber door 17. The ice compartment door 17 may be rotatably coupled to a door portion defining the ice compartment 171.

In detail, the refrigerator compartment doors 12 and 13 include an outer case 131 forming an outer shape, a door liner 132 coupled to a rear surface of the outer case 131, and an outer case 131 and a door liner 132. ) Is filled with an insulating layer (not shown). Then, the upper portion of the door liner 132 is recessed to a predetermined depth to form the ice storage chamber 171, and the ice storage chamber 171 is selectively opened and closed by the ice storage chamber door 17. In addition, an ice bank 20 (see FIG. 8) for storing ice is installed in the ice storage chamber 171, and the ice bank 80 may be detachably provided from the ice storage chamber 171.

In addition, an ice discharge port is provided at the bottom of the ice bank 80 and at the bottom of the ice storage chamber 171, and the ice discharge port communicates with the dispenser 15. Therefore, when the eject button provided in the dispenser 15 is operated, ice stored in the ice bank 80 is discharged to the dispenser 15 through the ice outlet.

In addition, a storage box may be mounted on the front surface of the living room door 17, and a storage box 133 may be mounted on the door liner 132 corresponding to a lower side of the living room door 17.

Meanwhile, the ice making assembly 30 includes an ice maker 40 for generating spherical ice, an ice transfer device 50 for transferring ice produced by the ice maker 40 to the ice bank 20, and A first duct assembly 60 including an ice transfer duct 62 connected to an ice transfer device 50 to guide the movement of ice, and mounted inside the refrigerator compartment door 13, the first duct assembly And an ice transfer device 80 and a second duct assembly 70 for transferring the ice transferred from 60 to the ice bank 80.

In detail, the ice maker 40 and the ice transfer device 50 are mounted on the bottom surface of the mullion 114. Here, an evaporation chamber 113 in which an evaporator (not shown) is installed is provided at the rear of the freezing chamber 112.

In addition, the ice transport duct 62 constituting the first duct assembly 60 has a side surface of the cabinet 11 defining the freezer compartment 112 and a side surface of the cabinet 11 defining the refrigerator compartment 111. Is extended along. And, the end of the ice transfer duct 62, that is, the ice outlet 621 is exposed to the side of the refrigerating chamber 111.

In addition, the first duct assembly 60 further includes a cold air recovery duct 61 that allows the cold air supplied to the ice storage chamber 171 to return to the freezing chamber 112 or the evaporation chamber 113. The cold air recovery duct 61 is adjacent to the ice transfer duct 62 and extends along the inner side of the freezer compartment 112 and the refrigerating compartment 111. Then, the cold air inlet 611 is exposed on the side of the refrigerating chamber 111 corresponding to the lower side of the ice outlet 621. In detail, one end of the cold air recovery duct 61 communicates with the freezing chamber 112 or the evaporation chamber 113, and the other end becomes a cold air inlet 611. Therefore, the cold air descending to the cold air inlet 611 is discharged to the freezing chamber 112 or the evaporation chamber 113 along the cold air recovery duct 61.

Then, when the refrigerator compartment door 13 is closed, the cold air inlet 611 and the ice outlet 621 communicate with the second duct assembly 70 mounted inside the refrigerator compartment door 13, and 2 The structure of the duct assembly 70 will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings below.

4 is a perspective view showing an ice making assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the ice making assembly 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an ice maker 40 and an ice conveying device 50.

In detail, the ice maker 40 is an ice maker that makes spherical ice, and includes an upper tray 41, a lower tray 42, and a rotating shaft 43 connecting the upper tray 41 and the lower tray 42. Includes. An upper cell forming the upper half of the spherical ice is formed in the upper tray 41, and a lower cell forming the lower half of the spherical ice is formed in the lower tray 41. Then, when the ice-making is completed, the upper tray 41 rotates the lower tray 42 around the rotating shaft 43 in a fixed state, so that ice is separated from the upper tray 41. Since the ice maker for such spherical ice making is described in detail in the above-mentioned patent application No. 2011-0091800, a description thereof will be omitted.

Meanwhile, the ice maker 40 may be accommodated in a separate housing 301. In addition, the bottom surface of the housing 301 is formed to be inclined downward toward the front end, so that the ice separated from the ice maker 40 collects at the front lower end of the housing 301. Then, the lower front portion of the housing 301 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape rounded with a curvature corresponding to the diameter of the spherical ice, so that the ice is transferred in a line.

In addition, an inlet end of the ice transfer duct 62 constituting the first duct assembly 60 is connected to a side surface of the housing 301. Specifically, the inlet end of the ice transfer duct 62 is connected to the front of the side surfaces of the housing 301, and ice collected at the front bottom of the housing 301 is lined with the ice transfer duct 62. To be transported.

In addition, the ice transfer device 50 is connected to the side of the housing 301. Specifically, a cylindrical transfer chute 58 constituting the ice transfer device 50 is connected to the side front end of the housing 301. That is, the ice transport duct 62 and the transport chute 58 are connected to opposite sides of the housing 301, respectively. Therefore, the center of the outlet end of the transport chute 58 and the center of the inlet end of the ice transport duct 62 are arranged on the same line. Reference numeral 51 is a transfer case, 53 is a transfer motor.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a view showing the internal structure of the transport case constituting the ice transport device.

5 and 6, the ice transfer device 50 includes the transfer chute 58, a transfer case 51 connected to an inlet end of the transfer chute 58, and the transfer case 51 A transfer disk 56 rotatably provided therein, the transport motor 53 for rotating the transport disk 56, a transport cable 54 wound around the transport disk 56, and the transport cable And a pusher 55 connected to the end of 54.

In detail, the transfer case 51 may be installed horizontally or vertically as illustrated. This may be suitably installed according to the internal structure of the freezer 112.

The transfer case 51 includes a circular rear cover 511 on which the transfer disk 56 is seated, and a front cover 512 covering the rear cover 511. Then, the rotation shaft 531 of the transfer motor 53 is inserted into a motor shaft insertion hole 561 formed in the center of the transfer disc 56, and rotates the transfer disc 56 at a set speed.

Further, as shown, the transfer cable 54 is wound in a stacked form on the outer circumferential surface of the transfer disk 56. That is, it is wound while expanding in the radial direction of the transfer disk 56. Further, the pusher 55 is connected to an end of the transfer cable 54, and the pusher is accommodated inside the transfer suit 58.

In addition, a plurality of guide rollers 52 are provided on the inner edge of the transfer case 51 to minimize friction between the inner circumferential surface of the transfer case 51 and the transfer cable 54 in the process of the transfer cable 54 being released. do. The transport cable 54 is made of a material having a ductility that can be smoothly wound on the transport disk 56, and at the same time, the pusher 55 is rigid enough to not bend in the process of pushing and moving the ice. It is good. And, the inside of the transfer cable 54 may be provided in the form of an empty tube.

7 is a view showing the operation of the ice transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, when ice generation is completed and separated in the ice maker 40, the separated ice falls and collects at the front edge of the housing 301. And, it is aligned in line with the ice collection unit for receiving ice formed on the front edge of the housing 301. As described above, a semi-cylindrical ice collection unit is formed at the front bottom of the housing 301, the transfer chute 58 is connected to one end of the ice collection unit, and the ice transfer duct 62 is provided at the other end. Connected.

In detail, ice transport is performed whenever ice is separated from the ice maker 40 and collected in the ice collection unit. That is, the number of ice-making cycles of the ice maker 40 and the number of ice-transfers are the same.

For transfer, the transfer motor 53 is driven to rotate the transfer disk 56 in one direction. Then, the pusher 55 located at the exit of the transfer case 51 is extended while the transfer cable 54 wound around the transfer disc 56 is released. Then, the pusher 55 pushes the ice aligned in line with the ice collection part of the housing 301 and sends it to the ice transfer duct 62. The transfer cable 54 is formed to a length that allows the pusher 55 to move to the outlet end of the ice transfer duct 62, that is, the ice outlet 621. Here, the ice transport duct 62 performs not only a function of transporting the ice, but also a function of serving as a cold air supply duct for guiding the cold air inside the freezing chamber 112 to the ice bank 20. Then, the ice transported along the ice transport duct 62 can be prevented from melting and sticking to each other, and the advantage of not having to install a separate cold air supply duct for supplying cold air to the ice bank 20 is advantageous. have.

On the other hand, when the ice collected inside the housing 301 is transferred to the ice transfer device provided in the refrigerator compartment door 13, the transfer motor 53 rotates in the reverse direction to rewind the transfer cable 54. In addition, the pusher 55 stops driving the transfer motor 53 at the moment it is caught at the exit end of the transfer case 511.

8 is a rear view of a refrigerator compartment door provided with an ice transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an ice transport device mounted on the refrigerator compartment door, and FIG. 10 is taken along II-II of FIG. 9 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 9.

8 to 11, the refrigerator compartment door 13 of the refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an out case 131, a door liner 132, and a heat insulating layer, as described above. In addition, the corner portion of the door liner 132 protrudes to form a door dike, and an ice storage chamber 171 is formed above the door liner 132 corresponding to the inside of the door dike. In addition, the ice storage chamber 171 is selectively opened and closed by the ice storage chamber door 17. In addition, an ice bank 20 is mounted in the ice storage chamber 171. In addition, an ice outlet is formed on the bottom surface of the ice storage chamber 171 and the bottom surface of the ice bank 20.

In detail, the inside of the refrigerator compartment door 13, that is, between the outer case 131 and the door liner 132, an ice transport device 80 and a second duct assembly 70 for ice transport and cold air guidance are mounted. . The ice transfer device 80 is mounted on the lower side of the refrigerator compartment door 13, the second duct assembly 70 is connected to the ice transfer device 80, and extends to the upper end of the ice compartment 171 do.

The ice transfer device 80, as described in FIG. 5, transfer motor 83, transfer case 81, transfer disk 86, transfer cable 84 and pusher 85: FIG. 12). Then, the transfer case 81 is made of a rear cover 811 and a front cover 812, the transfer disk 86 is rotated in the space formed by the rear cover 811 and the front cover 812 It is provided as possible. Then, the rotation shaft 831 of the transfer motor 83 is fitted in the center of the transfer disk 86 to rotate the transport disk 86. In addition, a transfer chute 88 is extended to the transfer case 81, and the pusher 85 is positioned inside the transfer chute 88.

In this embodiment, the transport cable 84 is wound on the outer circumferential surface of the transport disk 86, and is characterized in that it is wound in the thickness direction of the transport disk 86. The method in which the transfer cable 84 is wound may be wound in one of the shapes shown in FIG. 5 or the shape shown in this embodiment.

Meanwhile, the second duct assembly 70 includes a cold air recovery duct 71 and an ice transfer duct 72. The ice transport duct 72 extends upward along the edge of the door liner 132, the inlet end is connected to the transport chute 88, and the ice outlet 722 corresponding to the outlet end is the ice bank It is located at the top of (20). Then, the cold air recovery duct 71 is provided in a form in close contact with the outer surface of the ice transfer duct 72, and extends upward. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the ice transfer duct 72 and the cold air recovery duct 71 are installed adjacent to each other and may be provided in a single module form. In addition, the ice transport channel 720 formed in the ice transport duct 72 may have a circular cross-section to facilitate the transport of spherical ice. In addition, a cross section of the cold air flow path 710 inside the cold air recovery duct 71 may be formed in various shapes such as a square or a circular shape.

In addition, the ice transfer duct extends at any one side of the ice transfer duct 72, preferably at a point close to the ice transfer device 80. Hereinafter, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the ice transfer duct 72 defines a duct extending upwardly along the door liner 132 as a main duct 72a, and the main duct 72a ) Is defined as the sub-duct 72b. An ice inlet 721 is formed at an end of the sub duct 72b, and a communication hole is formed in a side surface of the door liner 132 corresponding to the ice inlet 721.

In addition, a cold air outlet 712 is formed at a lower end of the cold air recovery duct 71, and a cold air inlet 711 is formed at a lower end. The cold air outlet 712 may be located below the ice inlet 721 of the sub duct 72b. In addition, a cold air recovery port 172 is formed at a lower side of the ice storage chamber 171, and a cold air inlet 711 of the cold air recovery duct 71 is coupled to the cold air recovery port 172.

With this structure, when the refrigerator compartment door 13 is closed, the ice inlet 721 communicates with the ice outlet 621 (see FIG. 3) formed on the side surface of the refrigerator compartment 111 and communicates with the cold air outlet 712 ) Is in communication with the cold air inlet 611 (see FIG. 3 ). Therefore, the ice transferred by the ice transfer device 50 provided in the freezer 112 and the freezer cold air move along the ice transfer duct 62, and the ice passing through the ice outlet 621 is the It is transferred to the ice transfer device 80 mounted on the refrigerator compartment door 13 through the sub duct 72b. Then, it rises along the ice transfer duct 72 by the ice transfer device 80, and finally falls to the ice bank 20. Then, the freezing chamber cold air is also supplied to the ice storage chamber 171.

In addition, the cold air inside the ice storage chamber 171 is discharged through the cold air recovery port 172 provided on the side surface of the ice storage chamber 171, descends through the cold air recovery duct 71, and then the cold air. It is guided to the cold air recovery duct 61 provided on the side of the refrigerating chamber 111 through the discharge port 712. In addition, the recovered cold air guided to the cold air recovery duct 61 is guided to the freezing chamber 112 or the evaporation chamber 113.

As described above, according to the ice making assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, ice made in the ice maker 40 provided in the freezer 112 is finally transferred to the ice bank 20 through a two-stage transfer process.

12 is a view showing a process of transferring ice from the freezer-side transfer device to the door-side transfer device, and FIG. 13 is a view showing a state in which ice is transferred to the ice bank by the door-side transfer device.

Here, the transfer device 50 provided in the freezer compartment 112 may be defined as a first transfer device, and the transfer device 80 provided in the refrigerator compartment door 13 may be defined as a second transfer device.

In detail, the sub duct 72b extends from the main duct 72a, and extends obliquely upward, so that ice transported by the first transport device falls by gravity to the second transport device. Then, when all of the ice transported by the first transfer device is stacked on the pusher 85 of the second transfer device, the transfer motor 83 of the second transfer device is driven to push the ice to the ice. Push it up.

Then, the pusher 85 rises to the point when the lowest ice placed on the upper surface of the pusher 85 falls to the ice bank 20. Then, when all the ice falls to the ice bank 20, the transfer motor 83 rotates reversely, so that the pusher 85 returns to the transfer chute 88.

14 and 15 are views showing a reverse transport blocking device provided in the ice transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is a possibility that a reverse transfer phenomenon of ice may occur in the process of moving the ice toward the ice bank 20. In detail, some of the ice rising along the main duct 72a may pass to the sub duct 72b. Then, when the pusher 85 further rises past the sub-duct 72b, ice that has passed into the sub-duct 72b may fall to the transfer chute 88. Then, when the pusher 85 returns to the original position, the ice that has dropped into the transport chute 88 is prevented from entering the transport chute 88, and eventually, the ice cannot be transported. Can.

In order to prevent such a problem, it is necessary to block a portion of ice from being reversely transported to the sub duct 72b during the ice transfer process.

14 and 15, the ice back transport blocking device 90 according to an embodiment of the present invention, one end is connected to the pusher 85 through the main duct 72a, and moves in the vertical direction It includes a shutter (93), an elastic member (92) for imparting an elastic force to return the shutter (93) to its original position, and a bracket (91) supporting the elastic member (92).

In detail, the bracket 91 may be fixedly mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the main duct 72a. In addition, one end of the elastic member 92 is connected to the rear surface of the bracket 91, and the other end is connected to the shutter 93.

In addition, a slit s having a predetermined length in the vertical direction is formed in the main duct 72a, and one end of the shutter 93 penetrates the slit and is connected to the pusher 85. Here, one end of the shutter 93 is connected to the pusher 85 without being fixed. In addition, a through hole h through which the other end of the shutter 93 can be inserted is formed in the sub duct 72b.

When the operation of the ice back-transmission blocking device 90 having the above structure is described, in a state in which ice transport is not performed, one end of the shutter 93 is held in the pusher 85. . In addition, the other end of the shutter 93 is not inserted into the through hole h of the sub duct 72b. In addition, the elastic member 92 is stretched, and a restoring force is accumulated.

In this state, ice is transferred from the sub duct 72b to the main duct 72a, and is stacked on the upper surface of the pusher 85. Then, when the ice is primarily transferred to the pusher 85, the pusher 85 starts to rise to transfer the ice to the ice bank 20. Then, the elastic member 92 is contracted by the restoring force of the elastic member 92. Then, the pusher 85 and the shutter 93 are raised to one body, the other end of the shutter 93 is inserted into the through-hole (h) is introduced into the sub-duct (72b). Then, when the elastic member 92 is returned to the original state, the shutter 93 does not rise any more, and only the pusher 85 continues to rise. Alternatively, the shutter 93 may be raised only until it engages the upper end of the slit s.

In the state in which the shutter 93 is inserted into the sub duct 72b, a portion of ice rising along the main duct 72a is caught by the shutter 93 and reversely transported along the sub duct 72b. The phenomenon is blocked.

Meanwhile, after all of the ice is transferred to the ice bank 20 by the pusher 85, the pusher 85 is lowered again. Then, as the pusher 85 descends, one end of the shutter 93 is caught by the pusher 85. Then, while the pusher 85 is further lowered, the shutter 93 is pulled down, and accordingly, the elastic member 92 is stretched. Then, the other end of the shutter 93 is released from the through hole h, and the ice is transferred from the sub duct 72b to the main duct 72a.

In addition, the shutter 93 descends in one body with the pusher 85 until the pusher 85 descends and stops, and a position where the lowering of the shutter 93 stops and the position of the lower end of the slit s Is formed identically.

16 is a view showing an ice back transport blocking device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 16, an ice back transport blocking device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a damper (D).

In detail, the damper D may be rotatably installed at a point where the main duct 72a and the sub duct 72b join. In addition, a step portion m in which the end portion of the damper D is seated may be formed in the sub duct 72b. When the damper D is seated on the stepped portion m, the inner surface of the damper D, that is, the surface facing the inner space of the main duct 72a and the inner circumferential surface of the main duct 72a are the same. By forming a plane, ice is not caught in the damper (D) during the ice transfer process. A plurality of cold air holes D1 are formed in the damper D, so even when the damper D is seated on the stepped portion m, cold air supplied from the freezer is toward the main duct 72a. Keep supplying.

In addition, an elastic member such as a torsion spring is mounted on the rotation shaft of the damper D, and when ice is transferred from the sub duct 72b, the damper D is connected to the main duct by the load of the transferred ice. Rotating toward the inner space of 72a), the discharge port of the sub duct 72b is opened. In addition, when there is no ice in the sub-duct 72b, the damper D is maintained in the stepped portion m by the restoring force of the elastic member.

By the ice reverse transport blocking device described above, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon of ice returning to the sub duct 72b.

Claims (14)

A cabinet including a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment provided below the refrigerator compartment; A door which is rotatably connected to the front surface of the cabinet to open and close the refrigerator compartment, and includes a storage compartment for storing ice; An ice bank disposed in the ice storage chamber to store ice; And an ice maker mounted in the freezer, and an ice-making assembly including an ice transfer device for transferring ice made by the ice maker to the ice bank, wherein the ice maker includes an upper tray forming a hemispherical upper cell. , In a refrigerator comprising a lower tray forming a hemispherical lower cell and a rotating shaft rotating the lower tray,
A housing in which an ice collection unit for collecting ice separated from the ice maker is formed;
A first transport device for pushing ice collected in the ice collection unit;
A first conveying duct guiding ice conveyed by the first conveying device to a side portion of the cabinet;
A second transfer duct provided on the door and receiving ice moving along the first transfer duct to guide the ice bank;
A second transfer device that transfers ice transferred from the first transfer duct to the second transfer duct to the ice bank;
It is provided in the second transfer duct and is inserted into the first transfer duct when ice is transferred to the ice bank along the second transfer duct, preventing the transferred ice from being reversely transferred to the first transfer duct. A refrigerator comprising a reverse transport blocking device. According to claim 1,
The second transfer device,
Transfer cable;
A pusher connected to an end of the transfer cable; And
A refrigerator including a transfer case in which the transfer cable is wound and accommodated therein. According to claim 2,
The second transfer duct,
A main duct having an inlet end connected to a transfer chute of the second transfer device, and a discharge port connected to the ice storage room,
A refrigerator comprising a sub duct extending from a point in the main duct. The method of claim 3,
The reverse transport blocking device,
A bracket fixed to the main duct,
A shutter placed outside the main duct, one end selectively passing through the main duct to the pusher, and the other end inserted into the sub duct;
A refrigerator including an elastic member having one end connected to the bracket and the other end connected to the shutter. The method of claim 4,
In the main duct, a guide slit for guiding the movement of the shutter is formed in a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the main duct,
A refrigerator in which a hole into which the other end of the shutter is inserted is formed in the sub duct. The method of claim 5,
When the pusher rises along the main duct, the shutter rises along the guide slit by the restoring force of the elastic member, so that the other end of the shutter is inserted into the sub-duct. The method of claim 6,
The refrigerator, characterized in that the shutter rises by the contraction length of the elastic member, or rises to the upper end of the slit. The method of claim 6,
When the pusher descends along the main duct, a refrigerator characterized in that one end of the shutter is caught by the pusher so that the shutter descends together with the pusher so that the other end of the shutter comes out of the sub duct. The method of claim 8,
The refrigerator is lowered until the pusher stops and is caught at the bottom of the slit. The method of claim 3,
The reverse transport blocking device,
A damper rotatably connected to the inside of the sub-duct;
A refrigerator including an elastic member connected to the rotating shaft of the damper and returning the damper to its original position. The method of claim 10,
The refrigerator is characterized in that the damper is installed at a point where the sub duct meets the main duct. The method of claim 11,
A refrigerator characterized in that a plurality of cold air holes are formed in the damper. The method of claim 10,
The damper is rotated by the load of ice transferred from the first transfer duct to the sub duct, so that the ice is guided to the main duct,
After the ice passes through the damper, a refrigerator characterized in that the damper reversely rotates in a direction to close the sub duct by the restoring force of the elastic member. According to claim 1,
The first transfer device,
Transfer cable;
A pusher connected to an end of the transfer cable; And
A refrigerator including a transfer case in which the transfer cable is wound and accommodated therein.

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