KR102148457B1 - Ice manufacturing apparatus and the method thereof, water treatment apparatus having ice manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention has a simple structure while having both a water purification tank, a cold water tank, and an ice-making unit, and it is possible to reduce the time required for ice making, and the water in the cold water tank can be made cold water without a separate cooling means, thereby reducing the number of components. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice maker and an ice making method capable of providing ice of a uniform size, and a water treatment apparatus having an ice maker. The ice maker of the present invention for implementing this comprises: a water purification tank for storing water at room temperature; A cold water tank receiving water from the water purification tank and storing it in a cold water state; An ice making unit in which ice is made by spraying water from the cold water tank onto the ice making machine through a nozzle of the nozzle unit; And an ice storage unit for storing ice generated by the ice making unit.

Description

Ice machine and ice making method, water treatment device equipped with ice maker {ICE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND THE METHOD THEREOF, WATER TREATMENT APPARATUS HAVING ICE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to an ice maker, an ice making method, and a water treatment apparatus equipped with an ice maker, and more particularly, to an ice maker and a method for making ice by spraying water onto an ice maker using a nozzle, and a water treatment apparatus having an ice maker.

An ice maker is a device that generates ice and supplies it to a user, and is configured to generate ice by receiving cold air from a refrigerant flowing inside an evaporation tube constituting a refrigeration cycle.

In addition, among water treatment devices such as water purifiers, a water purifier having an ice making function has been developed so as to supply ice as well as cold and hot water. As an example, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 20-330516 has been disclosed.

In the prior art, an evaporator through which a low-temperature refrigerant flows, an ice-making plate coupled to receive cool air from the evaporator, a nozzle for spraying purified water onto the ice-making plate, and an ice reservoir for storing ice made from the ice-making plate are provided. .

A groove is formed in the ice making plate so that ice of a certain shape is formed, and when water sprayed from the nozzle contacts the inner surface of the groove, ice is generated in the groove by the cold air transmitted from the evaporator. The frozen ice is stored in an ice storage and then supplied to the user.

According to the prior art, an ice-making unit body for storing water for ice-making is provided, and ice-making is performed using purified water of the ice-making unit body. When a cold water tank is required to supply cold water to a user, the In addition to the ice-making unit body, a separate cold water tank must be provided, and a configuration such as a cooling coil for cooling water in the cold water tank is required, so the structure is very complex and the number of components increases, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost. In addition, since ice making is performed using purified water at room temperature stored in the body of the ice making unit, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time for ice making.

The present invention has been conceived to solve the above-described problems, while having both a water purification tank, a cold water tank, and an ice-making unit, the structure is simple, it is possible to reduce the time required for ice making, and water in the cold water tank without a separate cooling means. It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice maker and an ice making method capable of providing ice of a uniform size, and a water treatment apparatus having an ice maker, which can be made of cold water, thereby reducing the number of components.

The ice maker of the present invention to achieve the above object, a water purification tank for storing water at room temperature; A cold water tank receiving water from the water purification tank and storing it in a cold water state; An ice making unit in which ice is made by spraying water from the cold water tank onto the ice making machine through a nozzle of the nozzle unit; And an ice storage unit for storing ice generated by the ice making unit.

An overflow hole is formed in the water purification tank to overflow when the water level is higher than a set water level, and water overflowed through the overflow hole may be introduced into the cold water tank.

The ice maker holder supporting the ice maker may be configured with a first guide flow path for guiding the water overflowed through the overflow hole to flow into the cold water tank.

The ice-making unit guides the ice generated in the ice-making frame to fall into the ice storage unit, and includes an ice guide installed under the ice-making frame holder; The ice guide may be formed with a second guide channel that guides the water passing through the first guide channel to flow into the cold water tank.

The ice-making unit may further include a nozzle connection passage for connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other, and an ice-making frame holder supporting the ice-making frame.

The nozzle unit may include an upper nozzle plate in which the plurality of nozzles protrude upward, and a lower nozzle plate having a nozzle connection passage for connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other between the upper nozzle plate and the upper nozzle plate.

The upper nozzle plate has upper flow passage protrusions protruding downward on both sides of the nozzle connection passage along the longitudinal direction; A lower passage protruding portion protruding upward at a position corresponding to a lower portion of the upper passage protruding portion is formed on the lower nozzle plate; A packing may be interposed between the upper flow passage protrusion and the lower flow passage protrusion.

The ice-making unit further includes a nozzle connection passage connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other; One end of the nozzle connection channel may be connected to the cold water tank, and the other end of the nozzle connection channel may be connected to a cold water intake line for discharging cold water from the cold water tank to a user.

The water purification tank, ice storage unit, and cold water tank may be sequentially stacked from top to bottom, and the ice-making unit may be provided above the ice storage unit that is a side of the water purification tank.

A cover covering the top of the water purification tank may be further provided, and the cover may have a dual structure of an inner body of the cover and an outer body of the cover, and an insulation material may be provided in a space formed between the inner body of the cover and the outer body of the cover. .

The ice making method of the present invention comprises the steps of: a) introducing water into a water purification tank; b) introducing water from the purification tank into the cold water tank; c) cooling the water introduced into the cold water tank to generate cold water; d) supplying a low-temperature refrigerant to an evaporation tube, and spraying cold water from the cold water tank through a nozzle to make ice in an ice-making frame to which the evaporation tube is coupled; e) when ice is formed in the ice making frame, removing the ice and storing it in an ice storage unit.

In the step c), a low-temperature refrigerant is supplied into an evaporation tube coupled to the ice-making frame, while water from the cold-water tank is sprayed to the ice-making frame through the nozzle and cooled, and then flows into the cold-water tank, It may be configured that the cold water generation process is performed until the water in the cold water tank reaches a set temperature or lower.

During the process of ice making in step d), a high-temperature refrigerant may be intermittently supplied to the evaporation tube.

In step e), the ice removal time point may be determined by the outlet temperature of the evaporation tube.

The water treatment apparatus of the present invention comprises: the ice maker according to claim 1; A hot water tank for supplying hot water to a user using the water supplied from the water purification tank; A hot water intake line for supplying hot water from the hot water tank to a user; And a hot water intake valve provided on the hot water intake line to control whether or not to supply hot water.

A hot water pump operating to supply water from the purification tank to the hot water tank, and an air vent line connected so that the hot water tank and the inner space of the purification tank communicate with each other may be further provided.

According to the present invention, since the purified water from the water purification tank is overflowed and supplied to the cold water tank, a configuration such as a tube for connecting the water purification tank and the cold water tank is unnecessary, thus simplifying the structure. Since they are sequentially dropped on the guide channel, the second guide channel, and the upper nozzle plate and then flow into the cold water tank, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of noise due to the drop of the purified water.

In addition, a water purification tank, a cold water tank, and an ice storage unit are provided to supply purified water, cold water and ice, and the water purification tank, cold water tank, and ice storage are sequentially stacked from top to bottom, but the ice making unit is provided on the side of the water purification tank. Becomes compact.

In addition, since the water in the cold water tank is cooled by the ice making unit that generates ice, the cold water tank does not need to have a separate cooling means, thus reducing the number of components and simplifying the structure.

In addition, the flow path structure is simplified by integrating the flow path for supplying cold water from the cold water tank to the user and the flow path for supplying the ice to the nozzle.

In addition, by intermittently supplying high-temperature refrigerant to the evaporation pipe during the ice making process, the formation of thin ice at the inlet end of the circulation pump is prevented, so that the circulation of water is made smoothly. As ice of a uniform size is generated, it is possible to provide ice of a uniform size to the user, thereby improving the reliability of the product.

In addition, the body and the cover of the ice maker have a double body structure, and heat insulation performance can be improved by providing an insulation material between the inner body and the outer body.

In addition, it is possible to simplify the pipe connection structure by integrally forming a connection pipe for introducing water into the water purification tank on the cover.

In addition, by providing a hot water pump supplying water to the hot water tank and connecting the air vent line between the hot water tank and the purification tank, it is possible to smoothly discharge hot water by sending the air from the hot water tank to the interior space of the purification tank.

1 is a view showing the overall configuration of the water treatment apparatus of the present invention;
Figure 2 (a) is a combined perspective view showing the ice maker of the present invention,
2(b) is a combined perspective view showing a state in which the cover is removed from the ice maker of the present invention,
3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice maker shown in FIG. 2(b),
4 is a front cross-sectional view and an enlarged view showing an open state and a closed state of an ice discharge gate in the ice maker of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the ice maker of the present invention,
6 is a side cross-sectional view taken at a different position from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5;
7 is a perspective view showing the inside of the cold water tank of the present invention,
8 is a perspective view and an enlarged view of the ice making unit of the present invention,
9 is a perspective view showing a cold water outlet path of the present invention,
Figure 10 (a), (b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the upper/lower nozzle plate and the packing of the present invention are separated, and an AA cross-sectional view,
Figure 11 (a) is a perspective view showing the cover of the present invention, Figure 11 (b) is an AA cross-sectional view of Figure 11 (a),
12 is a view showing a path through which purified water flows into the cold water tank from the purified water tank;
13 is a view showing a path through which water of a cold water tank is sprayed through a nozzle;
FIG. 14 is a view showing a path in which water sprayed from a nozzle hits an ice maker and then is recovered to a cold water tank;
15 is a view showing a path in which ice de-icing in an ice maker is stored in an ice storage unit.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view showing the overall configuration of the water treatment apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2(a) is a combined perspective view showing the ice maker of the present invention, and FIG. 2(b) is a combined perspective view showing a state in which the cover is removed from the ice maker of the present invention; 3 is an exploded perspective view of the ice maker shown in FIG. 2(b), FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view and an enlarged view showing an open and closed state of an ice discharge gate in the ice maker of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the ice maker of the present invention. A side cross-sectional view, FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view cut away from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inside of the cold water tank of the present invention.

The water treatment apparatus of the present invention generates ice by storing the water filtered by the filter unit 920, a filter unit 920 composed of a plurality of filters (921,922,923,924) to filter the raw water supplied from the raw water supply unit 910 It includes an ice maker (1).

The filter unit 920 includes a pretreatment precipitation filter 921, a pre-carbon filter 922, a post carbon filter 923, and a hollow fiber membrane filter 924. In this case, instead of the hollow fiber membrane filter 924, a reverse osmosis membrane filter may be provided, and the number and type of filters and the order of arrangement before and after may be changed.

The filters (921,922,923,924) are interconnected by a plurality of pipes (931,932,933) to form a water purification line through which purified water moves, and to connect the pretreatment precipitation filter 921 and the pre-carbon filter 922 A raw water valve 940 for controlling the inflow of raw water is provided on the pipe 931.

The ice maker 1 is connected to the filter unit 920 by a purified water supply line 950 to store the water filtered by the filter unit 920 at room temperature, and the water purification tank 100 A cold water tank 500 that receives purified water from and stores it in a cold water state, an ice making unit 200 that generates ice using water in the cold water tank 500, and stores ice generated in the ice making unit 200 An ice storage unit 400, a separating plate 300 provided below the ice storage unit 400 to spatially separate the ice storage unit 400 and the cold water tank 500, and storing the ice and cold water. It includes an ice maker body 450 providing a space, and a cover 600 covering an upper portion of the water purification tank 100.

One side of the water purification tank 100 is formed with a water inlet 101 connected to the water supply line 950, and the water filtered by the filter unit 920 is passed through the water purification inlet 101. 100) It flows inside.

The purified water tank 100 is connected to a purified water intake line 720 for discharging the internal purified water to the user through a water intake port (not shown), and the purified water intake line 720 regulates the supply of purified water to the intake port. The purified water intake valve 710 is provided.

The water purification tank 100 is provided with a water purification tank level sensor 110 that detects the level of purified water, and when a low water level is detected, the water filtered through the filter unit is supplied into the water purification tank 100, and when a full water level is detected. In this, the supply of water into the water purification tank 100 is stopped.

The water purification tank 100 is formed with a water purification portion 105 for receiving purified water and a flange portion 103 formed in a horizontal direction from an upper end of the water purification portion 105, and one edge of the flange portion 103 The overflow hole 102 opened downward is formed at the bottom.

The water purification tank 100 is connected to the cold water tank 500 by a tank connection flow path 771, and the water in the water purification tank 100 is supplied to the cold water tank 500 through the tank connection flow path 771 do.

The tank connection passage 771 may be configured in the form of a tube so as to connect between the tanks 100 and 500, but the present invention is that water is filled in the purified water receiving part 105 of the purified water tank 100. When the water level is higher than the flange portion 103, the water overflowed through the overflow hole 102 flows into the cold water tank 500, thereby eliminating unnecessary parts such as a tube and a connector. The structure is simplified.

The ice-making unit 200 includes an ice-making frame 210 in which ice of a certain shape is formed, and an evaporation tube coupled to the ice-making frame 210 so that heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing therein and the ice-making frame 210 (200; 220a, 220b), an ice-making frame holder 230 supporting a lower portion of the ice-making frame 210, and ice generated in the ice-making frame 210 by being installed under the ice-making frame 210 To the nozzle unit 250 having an ice guide 240 for guiding to fall to 400, and a plurality of nozzles 251 for spraying water supplied from the cold water tank 500 to the ice making frame 210 Done.

The ice-making frame 210 includes an ice-making frame body 211 made of a metal material, and an ice-making groove 212 that is concavely formed in the ice-making frame body 211 to become a space in which ice is to be formed. In this case, a plurality of ice-making grooves 212 are formed to correspond to the plurality of nozzles 251. In addition, the ice making groove 212 may have various shapes such as a square, trapezoid, circle, or rhombus, so that ice of various shapes may be produced through a single mold without the need to manufacture a separate mold.

The evaporation pipe 220 constitutes a part of a refrigeration cycle (not shown), but includes an evaporation pipe inlet 220a through which refrigerant flows in and an evaporation pipe outlet 220b through which refrigerant heat exchanged flows out. The low-temperature refrigerant flows so that the water sprayed from the nozzle 251 generates ice in the ice making groove 212, and after the ice making is completed, the high-temperature refrigerant flows to melt the ice surface created in the ice making groove 212 Let it ice cream. In this case, a heater may be provided in the ice making frame 210 so that ice removal may be performed.

In order to determine the de-icing time point, an evaporation tube temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the evaporation tube outlet 220b may be provided, or an outside temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the outside temperature may be provided.

The ice-making frame body 211 is integrally coupled with the evaporation tube 220 by die casting, so that heat transfer from the refrigerant flowing inside the evaporation tube 220 to the ice-making frame body 211 is efficient. Done.

The ice maker holder 230 is for supporting the ice maker 210, and an insertion hole 231 into which the ice maker body 211 surrounding the ice making groove 212 is inserted, and the ice maker body A locking portion 232 protruding in the inward direction of the insertion hole 231 is formed so that the lower end of the portion 211 is caught, and the side portion overflows through the overflow hole 102 of the water purification tank 100 A first guide flow path 233 for guiding the purified purified water to the cold water tank 500 is formed, and is coupled to the fastening part 225 (see FIG. 8) of the ice making frame 210 by a fastening member (not shown). According to this configuration, since the ice maker 210 is detachable from the insertion hole 231 of the ice maker holder 230, the operation during maintenance of the ice maker is facilitated.

The first guide passage 233 constitutes a part of the tank connection passage 771, and the front portion is located under the overflow hole 102 of the water purification tank 100, and in the overflow hole 102 The overflowed purified water falls on the front part of the first guide passage 233. The first guide passage 233 is formed to be inclined from the front to the rear, and a first drain hole 233a opened downward is formed in the rear portion of the first guide passage 233, so that the first guide The purified water dropped in the front part of the flow path 233 flows to the rear part along the first guide flow path 233 and then falls downward through the first drain hole 233a.

The ice guide 240 is formed in an inclined plate 241 installed in an inclined manner to guide the ice that has been de-icing and dropped from the ice making machine 210 to the ice storage unit 400, and under the first guide passage 233 A second guide flow path 242 that is inclined from the rear to the front in order to flow forward the water that has fallen from the first drain hole 233a of the first guide flow path 233, and the front end of the swash plate 241 A plurality of falling water holes 243 (refer to FIG. 8) formed in the portion, and an ice curtain 244 for preventing water sprayed on the ice making frame 210 from splashing and scattering into the ice storage unit 400 are provided.

The swash plate 241 is formed with a through hole 241a so that water sprayed from the nozzle 251 toward the ice making groove 212 passes, and a valley 241b and a ridge ( 241c) is formed. If the upper surface of the sloping plate 241 in contact with one surface of the fallen ice is made of a flat surface, the contact area between the ice and the sloping plate 241 is wide, so that the ice may not go down smoothly to the ice storage unit 400, In the present invention, since the ice is in contact only at the bottom portion 241c, the contact area is small so that the ice is smoothly lowered to the ice storage unit 400.

The second guide passage 242 constitutes a part of the tank connection passage 771, and the rear portion is located under the first guide passage 233 and is formed to be inclined from the rear to the front, and the second A second drain hole 242a opened downward is formed in the front portion of the guide passage 242. Therefore, after the water dropped from the first drain hole 233a of the first guide channel 233 falls to the rear portion of the second guide channel 242, it flows forward along the second guide channel 242 and then the It falls downward through the second drain hole 242a.

The water sprayed onto the ice making frame 210 and dropped down flows down the swash plate 241 and then falls into the nozzle unit 250 through the plurality of dripping holes 243.

The ice curtain 244 is rotatable around the hinge portion 244a on the upper side, so ice falling along the swash plate 241 pushes the ice curtain 244 and then falls into the ice storage unit 400 , Water sprayed from the nozzle 251 and scattered from the ice maker 210 is prevented from flowing into the ice storage unit 400 by the ice curtain 244.

The nozzle unit 250 includes a plurality of nozzles 251, an upper nozzle plate 252 in which the plurality of nozzles 251 protrude upward, and a nozzle connection passage between the upper nozzle plate 252 ( A lower nozzle plate 253 coupled to form 255, a third drain hole 254 for introducing water falling on the upper nozzle plate 252 into the cold water tank 500, and the nozzle connection passage ( A nozzle inlet 257 provided at one end of the 255, through which the water of the cold water tank 500 flows in, and the other end of the nozzle connection passage 255, the water passing through the nozzle connection passage 255 is discharged. It consists of a nozzle outlet (258).

The plurality of nozzles 251 is composed of a first nozzle row 251a and a second nozzle row 251b, wherein a plurality of nozzles 251a and 251b are disposed at a predetermined interval in the horizontal direction, and the first nozzle row 251a and the second nozzle The rows 251b are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction.

The nozzle connection passage 255 forms one connected passage by connecting a plurality of nozzles 251 to each other, and is formed between the upper nozzle plate 252 and the lower nozzle plate 253.

The water discharged through the second drain hole 242a of the second guide channel 242 falls on the upper nozzle plate 252 constituting a part of the tank connection channel 771 and then the third drain hole It falls downward through 254 and flows into the cold water tank 500.

The ice storage unit 400 includes an ice storage body part 451a surrounding an inner space in which ice is stored, and an ice discharge port 400b for discharging ice is provided in the ice storage body part 451a. Is formed, the ice storage body portion (451a) is formed integrally with the cold water tank body portion (451b) constituting the cold water tank (500), the separating plate (300) forming the bottom of the ice storage portion (400) Ice and cold water are stored in the upper and lower spaces divided by ).

A stepped 460 is formed at a portion where the ice storage body part 451a and the cold water tank body part 451b are connected, and the separating plate 300 is mounted on the stepped part 460.

The separating plate 300 has an inclined shape that decreases from the center to the edge, and ice stored in the ice storage unit 400, which is an upper space of the separating plate 300, is easily discharged through the ice discharge gate 430 do.

The ice storage unit 400 includes blades 421 and 422 that periodically rotate around a rotation shaft 410 to prevent ice from sticking to each other, and the ice discharge port 400b of the body portion 451a of the ice storage unit. An ice discharging gate 430 for discharging ice to a user by opening and closing and a full ice sensor 440 for sensing that the ice storage unit 400 is filled with ice are provided.

The rotation shaft 410 is rotated by the driving of a motor 560 provided under the cold water tank 500, and the blades 421 and 422 are vertically spaced apart from the first blade 421 and the second blade 422. Consists, the ice of the ice storage unit 400 is smoothly discharged to the ice discharge gate 430.

Inside the cold water tank 500, a cold water tank water level sensor 510 for sensing the water level inside the cold water tank 500, and a circulation pump for supplying the water inside the cold water tank 500 to the nozzle 251 ( 530, a cold water tank connection line 520 connecting between the circulation pump 530 and the nozzle inlet 257 of the nozzle unit 250, and for measuring the water temperature inside the cold water tank 500 A cold water tank temperature sensor 540 (see FIG. 9) is provided.

The cold water tank level sensor 510 includes a low water level detection unit 511 for detecting a low water level of the cold water tank 500, a full water level detection unit 512 for detecting a full water level of the cold water tank 500, and an ice storage unit ( In order to detect whether the ice of 400) melts and flows into the cold water tank 500 and the water level of the cold water tank 500 rises to the ice discharge gate 430, it is provided at a higher position than the full water level detection unit 512. Consisting of a drain detection unit 513, since one sensor detects three water levels, the number of sensors is reduced and the installation structure is simplified.

When the water level of the cold water tank 500 is lowered and the water inlet of the circulation pump 530 is exposed above the water surface, air may be introduced into the circulation pump 530 to reduce the delivery pressure. Accordingly, in order to prevent air from flowing into the circulation pump 530, the low water level detecting part 511 is provided at a position higher than the water inlet of the circulation pump 530.

Since the circulation pump 530 and the cold water tank connection line 520 are provided inside the cold water tank 500 and can utilize the space inside the cold water tank 500, the structure is better than when installed outside the cold water tank 500. You can do it simply.

In addition, the cold water tank 500 is not provided with a separate cooling means such as a cooling coil, and the water cooled by the ice making unit 200 flows into the cold water tank 500, so that the number of components is reduced and the structure Becomes simpler.

The ice maker body 450 includes an inner body 451 made of the ice storage body part 451a and a cold water tank body part 451b, and an outer body 452 provided outside the inner body 451 It is composed of a double body structure, it is possible to minimize the heat loss of the ice storage unit 400 and the cold water tank 500.

In addition, by providing an insulating material (not shown) in the space 550 between the inner body 451 and the outer body 452, the heat loss inside the ice storage unit 400 and the cold water tank 500 is further reduced and ice It is possible to prevent the generation of condensed water in the outer body 452 due to the cold air inside the storage unit 400 and the cold water tank 500.

On the other hand, the blocking rib 104 protrudes downward from the bottom of the water purification tank 100 to block the ice storage unit 400 and the outside, thereby maintaining the temperature inside the ice storage unit 400 at a low temperature to melt ice. Can be prevented. In this case, the blocking rib 104 extends from the top of the ice storage body portion 451a to the horizontal body portion 451c extending horizontally so that the space inside the ice storage portion 400 is separated from the blocking rib 104 and the horizontal The heat loss inside the ice storage unit 400 can be minimized by being blocked by the upper body portion 451d and the outer body 452 extending upward from the outer end of the body portion 451c.

6 and 7, the cold water tank 500 has an inclined surface 501 having an inclined inner surface, and a partition wall separating a space in which water falls into the cold water tank 500 and a space in which water is stored. 502 and a communication hole 503 formed on the lower side of the partition wall 502 is provided, so that water falling through the third drain hole 254 of the nozzle part 250 falls on the inclined surface 501 After passing through the communication hole 503 is introduced into the cold water tank 500.

As described above, in the present invention, water in the purification tank 100 is overflowed to constitute the tank connection passage 771. The first guide passage 233 and the first drain hole 233a, the second guide passage 242 and the second drain hole 242a, the upper nozzle plate 252 and the third drain hole 254 are sequentially passed through. Since it has a structure that is introduced into the cold water tank 500 after falling on the slope 501, noise generation due to the drop of water in the water purification tank 100 can be minimized, and the water purification tank 100 and the cold water tank 500 are Since a separate configuration such as a tube for connection is not required, the structure can be simplified.

In this embodiment, water overflowing from the water purification tank 100 passes through all of the first guide passage 233, the second guide passage 242 and the upper nozzle plate 252, and then flows into the cold water tank 500. Although configured, some of these configurations may be omitted and the shape may be changed and applied.

In addition, the water purification tank 100, the ice storage unit 400, and the cold water tank 500 are sequentially stacked from the top to the bottom, and the ice making unit 200 is the ice storage unit 400 that is a side of the water purification tank 100. ), it is possible to supply not only purified water and cold water to the user, but also ice, and the ice maker structure can be compactly implemented.

Meanwhile, the water treatment apparatus of the present invention generates sterilized water to sterilize the water purification tank 100, ice storage unit 400, cold water tank 500, and ice making unit 200 provided in the ice maker 1 A sterilization module 790 is provided.

The sterilization module 790 is, for example, by electrolyzing water to generate sterilizing substances such as HOCl, ClO ^- ions by reacting chlorine ions contained in raw water with hydrogen and oxygen, and the positive electrode (not shown in the drawing) A negative electrode (not shown in the drawing) may be configured to supply power to the positive electrode and the negative electrode by a power supply unit (not shown in the drawing), and the electrode may be coated with platinum or iridium.

The sterilization module 790 is provided on a sterilization module connection line 795 connected at both ends of the cold water tank 500, and the sterilization water generated by electrolyzing the water inside the cold water tank 500 is the cold water tank 500 ) It is supposed to flow into the interior.

A water purification tank branched on the cold water intake line 740 and connected to the water purification tank 100 in order to supply the sterilized water generated by the sterilization module 790 and introduced into the cold water tank 500 to the water purification tank 100 A sterilized water supply line 760 and a purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 are provided on the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760 to control the supply of the sterilized water.

The purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760 is connected to the cold water tank 500 through a cold water intake line 740, a nozzle connection passage 255, a cold water tank connection line 520, and a circulation pump 530.

Therefore, when the circulation pump 530 is operated, the sterilized water inside the cold water tank 500 is the cold water tank connection line 520, the nozzle connection passage 255, the cold water intake line 740, and the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760. After passing through sequentially, it is supplied to the water purification tank 100, and the sterilization water supplied to the water purification tank 100 flows back into the cold water tank 500 through the tank connection passage 771, thereby forming a circulation passage for the sterilization water. In addition, since sterilization is performed by sterilizing water while circulating the circulation passage, sterilization is performed not only in the water purification tank 100 and the cold water tank 650 but also inside all pipes.

In addition, since the water purification tank sterilization water supply line 760 is branched on the cold water intake line 740 that is the front end of the cold water intake valve 730, it is possible to sterilize until immediately before the cold water intake valve 730. zone) can be minimized.

A sterilization level sensor 545 is provided at the top of the ice storage unit 400, and in the sterilization mode, sterilization in the cold water tank 500 and the ice storage unit 400 until the sterilization level sensor 545 detects the full water level. After the water is filled, a sterilization cycle takes place.

In order to drain the water stored in the cold water tank 500 and the purification tank 100 to the outside, the cold water tank drainage line 842 branched on the sterilization module connection line 795 and the purified water intake line 720 are branched. A water purification tank drainage line 841 crossing the cold water tank drainage line 842 is provided. On the cold water tank drain line 842 and the purification tank drain line 841, a cold water drain valve 810 and a purified water drain valve 820 to control whether or not to be drained are respectively provided, and a drain pump 830 is provided for smooth drainage. It is equipped.

As described above, the purification tank drainage line 841 is branched on the purified water intake line 720, which is the front end of the purified water intake valve 710, so that it can be sterilized immediately before the purified water intake valve 360 during sterilization circulation and when draining the sterilized water. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the dead zone area that is not sterilized.

Drainage of water through the cold water tank drainage line 842 and the purification tank drainage line 841 may be natural drainage using the difference in head, and if the drainage pump 830 is installed as in this embodiment, it is more smoothly drained. By doing so, the drainage time can be shortened.

The drain pump 830 changes the voltage/current according to the change in the amount of water passing through it, that is, the change in the load, and a load change detection unit (not shown in the drawing) that detects the change in the voltage/current. It may be configured to determine whether the drainage of purified water or sterilized water is completed.

According to the above configuration, using the sterilization water generated by the sterilization module 790, as well as the cold water tank 500 and the purification tank 100, the ice storage unit 400 and the ice making unit 200, and a hot water tank to be described later. Up to 800 can be sterilized, so the water treatment device can be managed cleanly.

In this embodiment, it is exemplified that the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 is provided on the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760, but the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760 and the cold water intake line 740 intersect. A flow path switching valve (not shown) is provided at the point to supply water supplied from the nozzle connection flow path 255 in the direction of any one of the cold water intake valve 730 and the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760 It can also consist of doing.

Meanwhile, the water treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a hot water tank 800 for storing hot water, a hot water intake line 780 and a hot water intake valve for discharging the hot water from the hot water tank 800 to a user through a water intake port (not shown). 770) is provided.

The hot water intake line 780 is branched from the water purification tank drain line 841 and is connected to the hot water intake valve 770, and when a user requests hot water, the hot water intake valve 770 is turned on to open the water intake port. Hot water is discharged through it.

The hot water tank 800 may be configured to heat and store purified water in advance of a predetermined amount or more, or may be configured in an instantaneous water heater method in which electricity is applied and heated when a user requests hot water.

When the hot water tank 800 is configured in an instantaneous water heater type, if there is air in the hot water tank 800, the hot water may not be normally discharged through the intake port when the user requests hot water, so the water purification tank A hot water pump 850 installed on the drain line 841 and an air vent line 870 for sending air from the hot water tank 800 together with water to the purification tank 100 are provided.

One side of the air vent line 870 is connected to the upper end of the hot water tank 800 and the other side is connected between the purification tank sterilization water supply valve 750 and the purification tank 100.

When the user requests hot water, when the hot water intake valve 770 is turned on and the hot water pump 850 is operated, the water from the purification tank 100 is supplied to the hot water tank 800 and heated, and then the hot water intake valve ( Water is discharged to the user through 770, and part of the water in the hot water tank 800 is sent to the inner space of the water purification tank 100 via the air vent line 870 together with air.

The temperature of hot water can be precisely controlled by adjusting the voltage applied to the hot water pump 800 to control the flow rate supplied to the hot water tank 800.

In addition, since the voltage applied to the hot water pump 800 may be higher or lower than the set value, the flow rate of the water supplied to the hot water tank 800 may vary, so that the flow controller 860 is placed on the water purification tank drain line 841. It may be configured to be installed to constantly adjust the flow rate of water supplied to the hot water tank 800 side.

Meanwhile, in the above, the sterilization level sensor 545 is provided to sterilize the ice storage unit 400, but the sterilization level sensor 545 is not provided and the ice storage unit 400 is not sterilized. May be.

That is, when the sterilization module 790 and the circulation pump 530 are operated for a certain period of time after filling water up to the water level sensing unit 512 of the cold water tank level sensor 510 of the cold water tank 500 in the sterilization mode, the sterilization The sterilization water generated in the module 790 flows into the cold water tank 500 and the sterilization water of the cold water tank 500 is supplied to the ice making unit 200 to sterilize the cold water tank 500 and the ice making unit 200 . In this case, the sterilization water of the cold water tank 500 by the operation of the circulation pump 530 is sprayed through the nozzle 251 through the cold water tank connection line 520 and the nozzle connection passage 255, and from the nozzle 251 The sprayed sterilizing water passes through the ice-making unit connection flow path 772 and the tank connection flow path 771 and then flows into the cold water tank 500 to perform sterilization circulation.

When the sterilization circulation of the cold water tank 500 and the ice making unit 200 is performed in this way, the operation of the sterilization module 790 is stopped, and the circulation pump 530 in a state in which the sterilized water supply valve 750 of the purified water tank is turned on. ) Is operated to sterilize the water purification tank 100 and the cold water tank 500. In this case, the sterilization water of the cold water tank 500 by the operation of the circulation pump 530 is supplied with the cold water tank connection line 520, the nozzle connection passage 255, the water purification tank sterilization water supply line 760, and the water purification tank sterilization water supply. After passing through the valve 750 in sequence, it is introduced into the water purification tank 100, and the sterilization water of the water purification tank 100 flows into the cold water tank 500 through the tank connection passage 771, thereby sterilizing circulation.

In addition, in the above, after filling water up to the full water level detection unit 512 of the cold water tank level sensor 510 of the cold water tank 500, the sterilization module 790 and the circulation pump 530 are operated, but the full water level detection unit ( It may be configured by operating the sterilization module 790 and the circulation pump 530 before water is filled up to 512).

Figure 8 is a perspective view and an enlarged view of the ice making unit of the present invention, Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the cold water outlet path of the present invention, Figures 10 (a), (b) is the upper / lower nozzle plate and packing of the present invention is separated As a perspective view and an AA cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cold water is discharged from the cold water tank 500 and the nozzle connection channel will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

Cold water intake line 740 connected to a water intake port (not shown) to discharge cold water from the cold water tank 500 to a user, and cold water intake installed on the cold water intake line 740 to regulate the supply of cold water to the intake port A valve 730 is provided.

The path through which the cold water of the cold water tank 500 is discharged to the user is a circulation pump 530, a cold water tank connection line 520, a nozzle inlet 257, a nozzle connection passage 255, and a nozzle outlet 258. ), and a cold water intake line 740 and a cold water intake valve 730, and when the circulation pump 530 is operated, the cold water in the cold water tank 500 is sequentially passed through each of the above configurations and then through an intake port (not shown). Is discharged.

The nozzle connection passage 255 is a sealed passage formed by interposing a packing 256 between the upper nozzle plate 252 and the lower nozzle plate 253 to interconnect the plurality of nozzles 251, and a nozzle inlet A first nozzle connection passage part 255a communicating with 257, a second nozzle connection passage part 255b communicating with each nozzle constituting the first nozzle row 251a, and the second nozzle row A third nozzle connection passage portion 255c communicating with each nozzle constituting 251b and a fourth nozzle connecting passage portion 255d communicating with the nozzle outlet 258 are provided.

The upper nozzle plate 252 has upper flow passage protrusions 252a and 252b protruding downward on both sides of the nozzle connection passage 255 in the longitudinal direction, and the upper flow passage protrusions ( Lower flow passage protrusions 253a and 253b protruding upward at positions corresponding to the lower portions of the 252a and 252b are formed. The packing 256 is interposed.

The packing 256 is inserted into the protrusion grooves 253c and 253d formed at the upper portion along the longitudinal direction of the lower flow path protrusions 253a and 253b, and the packing groove 256a formed along the longitudinal direction on the upper portion of the packing 256 , 256b) by inserting the upper flow passage protrusions 252a and 252b, the nozzle connection passage 255 is formed by the upper flow passage protrusions 252a and 252b and the lower flow passage protrusions 253a and 253b and the packing 256. It consists of an enclosed interior space.

As described above, the present invention provides the cold water tank 500, the circulation pump 530, the cold water tank connection line 520, the nozzle connection passage 255, the cold water intake line 740, and the intake port. When requested, the cold water intake valve 730 is turned on to supply cold water through the intake port, and when cold water is generated and ice-making, the cold water intake valve 730 is turned off to supply from the cold water tank 500. Water is sprayed through the nozzle 251 through the nozzle connection passage 255. Therefore, there is no need to provide a tank for storing ice-making water separately from the cold water tank 500, and there is no need to separately provide a flow path for discharging cold water and a flow path for generating cold water and ice making, reducing the number of parts and The structure is simplified.

In addition, by forming a nozzle connecting passage 255 that communicates a plurality of nozzles 251 between the upper nozzle plate 252 and the lower nozzle plate 253, a large number of nozzles are formed into one connected passage by a simple structure. can do.

Here, "Off" refers to a state in which the valve is closed or the pump is not operated, and "On" refers to a state in which the valve is open or the pump is operated, and is the same hereinafter.

When cold water is discharged, water from the cold water tank 500 is supplied to the cold water intake line 740 through the nozzle connection passage 255, so that water may be sprayed through the nozzle 251. Therefore, the channel area of the cold water intake line 740 is made larger than the channel area of the nozzle connecting channel 255 so that the water that has passed through the nozzle connecting channel 255 is configured to drop the pressure in the cold water intake line 740. It is possible to prevent the water of 500 from being sprayed through the nozzle 251 and to be supplied to the cold water intake line 740.

Figure 11 (a) is a perspective view showing the cover of the present invention, Figure 11 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of Figure 11 (a).

The cover 600 is formed to cover the upper side of the water purification tank 100 and the ice making unit 200, the cover outer body 610, the cover inner body 620 spaced inward from the cover outer body 610 , It consists of a connection pipe 640 communicating the inner space of the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 and the purified water tank 100.

The body of the cover 600 has a dual structure of the cover outer body 610 and the cover inner body 620 to improve thermal insulation performance.

Insulation is provided in the space 630 between the cover outer body 610 and the cover inner body 620 to further improve insulation performance.

The connection pipe 640 includes an inlet 641 connected to the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750, an intermediate part 642 extending horizontally from the inlet 641, and the intermediate part 642 It consists of an outlet 643 extending downward to communicate with the upper space of the water purification tank 100 at the end of the cover, and is formed integrally with the cover outer body 610 and the cover inner body 620 by injection molding. As a result, the connection structure can be simplified.

The connection with the first connector 751 connected to the air vent line 870 and the second connector 752 connected to the purified water tank sterilized water supply line 760 to the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 A third connector 753 connected to the inlet 641 of the pipe 640 is formed.

The first connector 751, the third connector 753, and the connection pipe 640 are connected inside the water purification tank sterilized water supply valve 750 so as to be in constant communication, and the hot water pump 850 is When is operated, water and air passing through the hot water tank 800 and the air vent line 870 flow into the first connector 751 and into the interior space of the water purification tank 100 through the connection pipe 640. Radix separation takes place.

The second connector 752, the third connector 753, and the connection pipe 640 communicate with the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 only when the purified water tank sterilized water supply valve 750 is turned on. It is connected from the inside, and in the sterilization mode, the sterilization water through the purification tank sterilization water supply line 760 and the purification tank sterilization water supply valve 750 flows into the second connector 752 to be purified through the connection pipe 640 It flows into the tank 100.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a path through which purified water flows from the purified water tank to the cold water tank, FIG. 13 is a view showing a path through which water from the cold water tank is sprayed through the nozzle, and FIG. 14 is a view showing the water sprayed from the nozzle hits the ice maker. A diagram showing a path to be recovered to a cold water tank, FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a path in which ice removed from an ice maker is stored in an ice storage unit. Hereinafter, an ice making method using an ice maker of the present invention is described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 15. Explain.

Referring to FIG. 12, when the raw water valve 940 is turned on, purified water filtered through the filter unit 920 flows into the water purification tank 100 through the water purification inlet 101, and the water purification tank 100 When the water is filled with the flange portion 103 or more, it overflows through the overflow hole 102 and passes through the first guide channel 233 to the second guide channel 242 from the first drain hole 233a. It falls and falls on the upper nozzle plate 252 from the second drain hole 242a through the second guide flow path 242, and the cold water tank from the third drain hole 254 through the upper nozzle plate 252 After falling to the inclined surface 501 of 500), it is introduced into the inner space of the cold water tank 500 through the communication hole 503.

When the cold water tank 500 is filled with water and the full water level detection unit 512 of the cold water tank level sensor 510 detects that the water level is full, the raw water valve (not shown) is turned off to block the inflow of purified water.

When purified water is filled in the purified water tank 100 and the cold water tank 500 by the above-described process, the cold water generation process proceeds. Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the cold water tank 500 by the operation of the circulation pump 530 ) Of the water is sprayed through the nozzle 251 sequentially through the cold water tank connection line 520, the nozzle inlet 257, and the nozzle connection passage 255. In this case, a low-temperature refrigerant is supplied into the evaporation pipe 220 to cool the ice-making frame body 211, and water sprayed from the nozzle 251 into the ice-making groove 212 is inside the ice-making groove 212. It hits the ice maker body 211 and is cooled. The water cooled by colliding with the ice-making frame body 211 falls to the upper surface of the upper nozzle plate 252 and then falls to the inclined surface 501 of the cold water tank 500 through the third drain hole 254, thereby a cold water tank It flows back to 500. The cold water generation process is continuously performed until the temperature of the water measured by the cold water tank temperature sensor 540 (see FIG. 9) reaches the first set temperature.

As described above, since the present invention cools the water in the cold water tank 500 by using the ice making unit 200, there is no need to provide a separate cooling means to generate cold water.

Meanwhile, the ice maker of the present invention can be configured to allow the user to select an ice making mode and a cold water mode.In the ice making mode, cold water generation and ice making processes are performed, so that cold water and ice are stored in the cold water tank 500 and the ice storage unit 400, respectively. In this mode, cold water is supplied or ice is supplied according to the user's request. In the cold water mode, there is no ice in the ice storage unit 400 because the user does not want to use the ice making function, and there is no ice from the cold water tank 500. This mode is controlled so that only cold water is supplied.

When the user selects the cold water mode, there is no need to perform the ice making process, so when the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 reaches the first set temperature, the operation of the circulation pump 530 is stopped, while the evaporation pipe 220 ) Also stops the supply of refrigerant to end the cold water generation process

Thereafter, when the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 reaches a second set temperature that is higher than the first set temperature, the cold water generation process is repeated again, so that the cold water temperature of the cold water tank 500 is maintained within the set range.

If the user selects the ice making mode, the ice making process continues even after the water temperature in the cold water tank 500 reaches the first set temperature, and the operation of the circulation pump 530 and the refrigerant supply to the evaporation pipe 220 are not By continuing, the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 is further lowered than the first set temperature.

On the other hand, when the cooled water of the cold water tank 500 is sprayed through the nozzle 251 for ice making, an ice film starts to be formed on the surface of the ice making frame body 211 of the ice making groove 212. 211) After the ice film is formed on the surface, the water sprayed from the nozzle 251 does not directly heat exchange on the surface of the ice-making frame body 211, but heat exchange occurs through the ice film, so that it flows into the cold water tank 500. Although the temperature of the water is not excessively cooled, heat exchange occurs directly on the surface of the ice-making frame body 211 before the ice film is formed, so that the temperature of the water flowing into the cold water tank 500 may be excessively cooled.

When the excessively cooled water flows into the cold water tank 500 in this way, thin ice may be formed inside the cold water tank 500, and in particular, thin ice at the inlet end of the circulation pump 530 provided inside the cold water tank 500 When this is formed, there is a problem in that the circulation of water is not made smoothly.

In order to prevent this problem, a high-temperature refrigerant may be intermittently supplied to the evaporation pipe 220 during the ice making process. For example, when the water temperature measured by measuring the water temperature in the cold water tank 500 reaches a third set temperature, a high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the evaporation tube 220 for a certain period of time (t1), and a low-temperature refrigerant is again supplied. It is possible to prevent the formation of thin ice in the cold water tank 500 by supplying it for a certain time t2 and repeating it until the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 reaches a fourth set temperature lower than the third set temperature.

The third set temperature refers to a temperature of water at which thin ice starts to be formed, and a fourth set temperature refers to a temperature at which an ice film begins to be formed on the surface of the ice making frame body 211.

After the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 reaches the third set temperature, if a high-temperature refrigerant and a low-temperature refrigerant are alternately supplied, the temperature of the water decreases to the fourth set temperature without forming thin ice. When the temperature reaches the set temperature, an ice film begins to form on the surface of the ice-making frame body 211, so even if a high-temperature refrigerant is not supplied, thin ice is not generated.

Even after the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 is lower than the fourth set temperature, the spray of water through the nozzle 251 continues to increase the thickness of the ice film. In this case, the ice formed in the plurality of ice making grooves 212 There is a problem that sizes are different from each other. That is, in the ice making groove 212 close to the evaporation pipe inlet 220a into which the refrigerant flows, the ice is formed at a high ice size, and the ice making groove 212 is close to the evaporation pipe outlet 220b through which the heat exchanged refrigerant flows ), the ice generation rate is slow, so the size of the ice becomes smaller, so that the size of ice supplied to the user is different.

In order to prevent this problem, when the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 reaches a fifth set temperature lower than the fourth set temperature, the circulation pump 530 is stopped for a certain period of time (t3) and a certain period of operation (t4) is repeated. Ice having a uniform size can be supplied by forming the ice film thickness on the surface of the ice making frame body 211 of the ice making groove 212 at a similar rate.

That is, even while the circulation pump 530 is stopped for a certain period of time (t3), a low-temperature refrigerant is continuously supplied to the evaporation pipe 220. In this case, the refrigerant flowing into the evaporation pipe inlet 220a heats the heat with water. Since it flows out through the evaporation pipe outlet 220b without a process, the temperatures at the evaporation pipe inlet 220a and the evaporation pipe outlet 220b are similar. After that, if the circulation pump 530 is operated for a certain period of time (t4), the temperature difference between the refrigerant at the evaporation pipe inlet 220a and the evaporation pipe outlet 220b is not large, so that the ice making groove 212 close to the evaporation pipe inlet 220a and An ice film is formed at a similar rate in the ice making groove 212 close to the evaporation pipe outlet 220b.

In addition, if the circulation pump 530 is stopped for a certain period of time (t3) and the operation of a certain period of time (t4) is repeated, the water is not sprayed through the nozzle 251 when stopping for a certain period of time (t3). Since the water cooled in 211 does not flow into the cold water tank, it is possible to prevent the formation of thin ice inside the cold water tank 500, so that smooth water circulation is achieved by the circulation pump 530.

In this case, the stop time t3 of the circulation pump 530 may be longer than the operation time t4, thereby making the size of the ice more uniform.

The process of repeating the stop and operation of the circulation pump 530 continues, and when the temperature of the evaporation tube outlet 220b sensed by the evaporation tube temperature sensor (not shown) falls below a set temperature, the circulation pump 530 ) Is stopped and the process of repeating the operation is terminated, and the operation of the circulation pump 530 is continued, thereby completing the ice making process.

When the ice making process is completed, the ice removal process proceeds. Referring to FIG. 15, a high-temperature refrigerant is supplied to the evaporation pipe 220 or a heater provided in the ice-making frame 210 in a state in which the operation of the circulation pump 530 is stopped. When operated, ice is removed from the ice making groove 212 and falls on the swash plate 241 and then slides and is stored in the ice storage unit 400.

In this case, the ice removal time point is determined from the elapsed time of ice making, the method of determining from the temperature of the evaporation tube outlet 220b measured by the evaporation tube temperature sensor (not shown), and the outside temperature sensor (not shown). It can be determined by selecting any one of the methods for determining from the measured outside air temperature or by combining two or more.

Since the temperature of the evaporation pipe outlet 220b gradually decreases as the ice making progresses, when the temperature of the evaporation pipe outlet 220b reaches a set temperature, it is determined that the ice making is completed, and the deicing time may be determined.

In addition, since the time required for ice making becomes longer as the outside temperature increases, the time of ice removal can be determined by setting the ice making time according to the measured outside temperature.

If the above-described ice making and de-icing are repeatedly performed, ice accumulates in the ice storage unit 400, and if ice is not detected by the full ice sensor 440, it is determined that the ice storage unit 400 is not filled with ice. Ice making and de-icing processes are repeatedly performed until ice-making and de-icing processes are performed, and when ice is detected by the full ice sensor 440, it is determined that ice has been filled in the ice storage unit 400, and the ice-making process is terminated.

On the other hand, when the user waters out purified water, the purified water intake valve 710 is turned on so that the purified water in the purification tank 100 is discharged through the purified water intake valve 710 through the purified water intake line 720, and If it is determined that water replenishment is necessary by the water level sensed by the tank level sensor 110, the raw water valve (not shown) is turned on so that the purified water filtered by the filter unit (not shown) flows into the water purification tank 100. do.

In addition, when the user discharges cold water, the cold water intake valve 730 and the circulation pump 530 are turned on, so that the cold water of the cold water tank 500 is the cold water tank connection line 520, the nozzle connection passage 255, After passing through the cold water intake line 740 in sequence, water is discharged through the cold water intake valve 730, and when the water level of the cold water tank 500 is lowered after the cold water is discharged, the cold water tank water level sensor 510 detects this and the water purification tank 100 So that the water flows into the cold water tank 500. In this case, the water temperature of the cold water tank 500 is measured and the cold water generation process described above is performed according to whether or not the set temperature is reached.

On the other hand, when the user presses the ice discharge button (not shown) to discharge ice, the ice discharge gate 430 is opened, and the rotation shaft 410 and the blades 421 and 422 rotate by the drive of the motor 560 to store ice. Ice is supplied to the user by pushing the ice of the part 400 and discharging it to the outside through the ice discharge port 400b.

According to the configuration as described above, since the purified water from the water purification tank is overflowed and supplied to the cold water tank, the structure is simplified, and the purified water that has overflowed from the water purification tank falls sequentially on the first guide flow channel, the second guide flow channel, and the upper nozzle plate. It is then introduced into the cold water tank, so it can prevent noise from falling. In addition, the clean/cold water tank, ice storage and ice making unit are arranged in a compact structure, and the structure is simplified as there is no need to provide a separate cooling means for cooling the water in the cold water tank. The flow path structure is simplified by integrating the path for water outflow and the path for supply to the nozzle for ice making. In addition, by intermittently supplying high-temperature refrigerant to the evaporation pipe during the ice making process, the formation of thin ice is prevented to facilitate water circulation, and by repeating the stop and operation of the circulation pump, it is possible to provide ice of a uniform size to the user. have.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications are apparent by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention claimed in the claims. It is possible, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention.

100: water purification tank 101: water inlet
102: overflow hole 103: flange portion
110: water purification tank water level sensor 200: ice-making unit
210: ice-making frame 211: ice-making frame body
212: ice making groove 220: evaporation pipe
230: ice maker holder 231: insertion hole
232: locking part 233: first guide passage
233a: first drain hole 240: ice guide
241: swash plate 241a: through hole
241b: goal 241c: floor
242: 2nd guide passage 243: Falling water hole
244: ice curtain 250: nozzle part
251: nozzle 252: upper nozzle plate
253: lower nozzle plate 254: third drain hole
255: nozzle connection channel 256: packing
257: nozzle inlet 258: nozzle outlet
300: separator 400: ice storage
410: rotation shaft 421,422: blade
430: ice discharge gate 440: full ice sensor
500: cold water tank 510: cold water tank water level sensor
520: cold water tank connection line 530: circulation pump
540: cold water tank temperature sensor 560: motor
600: cover 610: cover outer body
620: cover inner body 630: space
640: connection pipe 710: water intake valve
720: purified water intake line 730: cold water intake valve
740: cold water intake line 750: water purification tank sterilization water supply valve
760: purification tank sterilized water supply line 770: hot water intake valve
780: hot water intake line 790: sterilization module
795: sterilization module connection line 800: hot water tank
830: drain pump 841: water purification tank drain line
850: hot water pump 870: air vent line
910: raw water supply unit 920: filter unit

Claims (42)

A water purification tank that stores water at room temperature;
A cold water tank receiving water from the water purification tank and storing it in a cold water state;
An ice making unit in which ice is made by spraying water from the cold water tank onto the ice making machine through a nozzle of the nozzle unit;
An ice storage unit for storing ice generated by the ice making unit;
Including,
The ice maker holder supporting the ice maker is provided with a first guide flow path for guiding the water in the water purification tank to flow,
An ice maker having a second guide flow path for guiding water passing through the first guide flow path into the cold water tank in an ice guide that guides the ice generated by the ice maker to fall into the ice storage unit. The method of claim 1,
An overflow hole is formed in the water purification tank to overflow when the water level is higher than the set water level, and the water overflowed through the overflow hole sequentially passes through the first guide channel and the second guide channel and then flows into the cold water tank. Ice maker, characterized in that the. delete The method of claim 1,
The ice guide is an ice maker, characterized in that installed below the ice maker holder. The method of claim 2,
An ice maker, characterized in that an inclined surface is formed inside the cold water tank, and the water overflowing from the water purification tank falls on the inclined surface and then flows into the cold water tank. The method of claim 1,
An ice maker, characterized in that a blocking rib protruding downward from the bottom of the water purification tank is formed. The method of claim 6,
The ice maker body surrounding the cold water tank and the ice storage unit has a dual structure of an inner body consisting of an ice storage body and a cold water tank body, and an outer body provided outside the inner body;
The blocking rib extends from the top of the ice storage body to a horizontal body extending horizontally, and the space inside the ice storage includes a blocking rib and an upper body extending upward from an outer end of the horizontal body. An ice maker, characterized in that it is blocked by an external body in three layers. The method of claim 1,
The ice maker further comprises a nozzle connection passage for connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other, and an ice maker holder supporting the ice maker. The method of claim 8,
The ice maker, wherein the ice maker is provided to be detachably attached to the ice maker holder. The method of claim 1,
The nozzle unit is an ice maker comprising an upper nozzle plate in which the plurality of nozzles protrude upward, and a lower nozzle plate having a nozzle connection passage for connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other between the upper nozzle plate. The method of claim 10,
The upper nozzle plate has upper flow passage protrusions protruding downward on both sides of the nozzle connection passage along the longitudinal direction;
A lower passage protruding portion protruding upward at a position corresponding to a lower portion of the upper passage protruding portion is formed on the lower nozzle plate;
An ice maker, characterized in that a packing is interposed between the upper flow passage protrusion and the lower flow passage protrusion. The method of claim 11,
The packing is inserted into the protrusion groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the lower flow passage protrusion, and the upper flow passage protrusion is inserted into the packing groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the packing. The method of claim 1,
The ice-making unit further includes a nozzle connection passage connecting the plurality of nozzles to each other;
One end of the nozzle connection passage is connected to the cold water tank, and the other end of the nozzle connection passage is connected to a cold water intake line for discharging the cold water from the cold water tank to a user. The method of claim 13,
An ice maker, characterized in that the channel cross-sectional area of the cold water intake line is larger than the cross-sectional area of the nozzle connection channel. The method of claim 13,
An ice maker, characterized in that a circulation pump for transferring water from the cold water tank to the nozzle connection passage is provided in the cold water tank, and the circulation pump and the nozzle connection passage are connected by a cold water tank connection line. The method of claim 1,
The ice making unit includes an ice guide having a sloping plate for guiding the ice generated in the ice making frame to fall into the ice storage unit, and a valley and a ridge having the same longitudinal direction as the sloping direction are repeatedly formed on the upper surface of the sloping plate. Ice maker. The method of claim 1,
The ice-making unit includes an ice guide having a swash plate for guiding the ice generated in the ice-making frame to fall into the ice storage unit, and a passage hole is formed in the swash plate to allow water sprayed from the nozzle to pass, and a lower side of the swash plate An ice maker, characterized in that a dripping hole is formed at an end portion of the ice maker so that the water falling against the ice maker passes. The method of claim 1,
The ice storage unit and the cold water tank is an ice maker, characterized in that one body is composed of a vertical space divided by a separating plate. The method of claim 18,
The separating plate is an ice maker, characterized in that seated on the stepped jaw formed on the inner surface of the body. The method of claim 1,
The water purification tank, the ice storage unit, and the cold water tank are sequentially stacked from top to bottom, and the ice making unit is provided above the ice storage unit, which is a side of the water purification tank. The method of claim 1,
An ice maker, wherein a cover is further provided to cover an upper portion of the water purification tank, wherein the cover has a dual structure of a cover inner body and a cover outer body. The method of claim 21,
An ice maker, characterized in that a space is formed between the inner body of the cover and the outer body of the cover, and an insulating material is provided in the space. The method of claim 1,
An ice maker, wherein a cover is further provided to cover an upper portion of the water purification tank, and a connection pipe is integrally formed to penetrate the body of the cover so that water can flow into the water purification tank. The method of claim 1,
The ice maker body surrounding the outer side of the ice storage unit and the cold water tank is made of a dual structure of an inner body and an outer body. The method of claim 24,
An ice maker, characterized in that a space is formed between the inner body and the outer body, and an insulating material is provided in the space. a) introducing water into the water purification tank;
b) After the water from the water purification tank sequentially passes through the first guide flow path formed in the ice maker holder supporting the ice maker and the second guide flow path formed in the ice guide to guide the ice generated in the ice maker to fall into the ice storage unit. Introducing into the cold water tank;
c) cooling the water introduced into the cold water tank to generate cold water;
d) supplying a low-temperature refrigerant to an evaporation tube, and spraying cold water from the cold water tank through a nozzle to make ice in the ice-making frame to which the evaporation tube is coupled;
e) when ice is formed in the ice-making frame, de-icing the ice and storing it in an ice storage unit;
Ice making method comprising a. The method of claim 26,
In the step b), the water in the water purification tank overflows to flow into the cold water tank. The method of claim 26,
In step b), when the cold water tank water level sensor provided in the cold water tank detects that the water level of the cold water tank is full, the water supply to the water purification tank is stopped. The method of claim 26,
In step c), a low-temperature refrigerant is supplied into an evaporation tube coupled to the ice-making frame, while water from the cold-water tank is sprayed to the ice-making frame through the nozzle and cooled, and then flows into the cold-water tank, and the An ice making method, characterized in that the process of generating cold water is performed until the water in the cold water tank reaches a set temperature or lower. The method of claim 26,
An ice making method, characterized in that, in the process of ice making in step d), a high-temperature refrigerant is intermittently supplied to the evaporation tube. The method of claim 26,
The ice-making method, characterized in that in step e), the time point of ice removal of the ice is determined by an outlet temperature of the evaporation tube. The method of claim 26,
The ice-making method, characterized in that in step e), the ice removal time point is determined from the outside temperature. The method of claim 26,
A plurality of ice making grooves in which ice is formed in a position opposite to the nozzle is formed in the ice making frame, and a circulation pump for supplying cold water from the cold water tank to the nozzle is provided;
In step d), the circulation pump is stopped and operated repeatedly for a set time. The method of claim 33,
Ice making method, characterized in that the stopping time of the circulation pump is longer than the operating time. The method of claim 33,
When the cold water temperature of the cold water tank is less than or equal to a set temperature, stopping and operation of the circulation pump are repeated. The method of claim 33,
When the temperature at the outlet side of the evaporation pipe is less than or equal to the set temperature, the repetitive process of stopping and operating the circulation pump is terminated, and the operation of the circulation pump continues to make ice making. The ice maker according to claim 1;
A hot water tank for supplying hot water to a user using the water supplied from the water purification tank;
A hot water intake line for supplying hot water from the hot water tank to a user;
A hot water intake valve provided on the hot water intake line to control whether to supply hot water;
Water treatment device comprising a The method of claim 37,
A water treatment apparatus further comprising: a hot water pump operating to supply water from the water purification tank to the hot water tank, and an air vent line connected so that the hot water tank and the inner space of the water purification tank communicate with each other. The method of claim 38,
A cover is further provided to cover an upper portion of the water purification tank, and water passing through the air vent line by the operation of the hot water pump is introduced into the interior space of the water purification tank through a connection pipe passing through the cover. Water treatment equipment The method of claim 38,
A sterilization module for supplying sterilized water to the purification tank;
A water purification tank sterilization water supply line for supplying the sterilization water generated by the sterilization module to the water purification tank ;
A second connector provided on the purified water tank sterilized water supply line and connected to the purified water tank sterilized water supply line and a first connector connected to the air vent line and controlling whether to supply the sterilized water to the purified water tank A water purification tank sterilized water supply valve having a third connector connected to the water purification tank;
Including a connection pipe connecting between the third connector and the water purification tank,
The first connector, the third connector, and the connection pipe are connected to be in constant communication;
The second connector, the third connector, and the connection pipe are connected inside the water purification tank sterilized water supply valve so as to communicate only when the water purification tank sterilized water supply valve is turned on. The method of claim 38,
A water treatment device, characterized in that it is provided with a flow rate controller to make the flow rate of water supplied from the hot water pump constant. The method of claim 38,
The water treatment apparatus, characterized in that the flow rate of water supplied to the hot water tank is adjusted by adjusting the voltage of the hot water pump.

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