KR102621554B1 - Ice-making apparatus for adjusting size of manufactured ice - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an ice-making device. The water storage tank containing ice-making water is raised and lowered to separate it from the ice-making rod, and water is added to the water storage tank to repeat the ice-making operation. This reduces the time required for ice-making, thereby improving the efficiency of the ice-making work. About an ice making device that not only improves the water usage when making ice, but also allows the size of ice to be adjusted according to the user's settings, and maintains the size of ice produced multiple times at a constant level. will be.

Description

Ice making device capable of adjusting the size of the ice produced {ICE-MAKING APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTING SIZE OF MANUFACTURED ICE}

The present invention relates to an ice making device, and more specifically, to an ice making device that can adjust the size of ice produced according to user settings and maintain the size of ice produced multiple times at a constant level.

In general, an ice maker is a device that produces ice and is installed in an ice maker, ice purifier, or freezer compartment of a refrigerator to produce ice so that users can easily use the ice.

The ice making device includes a refrigerant pipe through which refrigerant moves, a plurality of ice making rods protruding from the refrigerant pipe, and an ice making tray storing water for ice making, in which the ends of the ice making rods are submerged.

The ice maker supplies low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant through a refrigerant pipe to an ice-making rod, the end of which is partially submerged in ice-making water, to produce ice around the end of the ice-making rod.

Then, the ice maker separates the ice-making rod from the ice-making tray after the ice is manufactured, rotates the ice-making tray to pour out the ice-making water, and then supplies high-temperature gas into the ice-making rod to separate the ice from the ice-making rod and transfer it to the ice bucket. By dropping and storing it, the user can easily retrieve the ice stored in the ice bucket and use it.

However, conventional ice making devices have a structure in which only ice of the same size is produced from ice making rods, so there is a problem in that ice cannot be produced in various sizes depending on the purpose.

In addition, the conventional ice making device pours out the ice making water in the ice making tray after making ice and uses re-supplied water to make ice, so it takes a long time to refill the ice making tray with water and cool it, resulting in longer ice making time. , there was a problem with large water consumption during ice making.

Korean Patent Registration No. 0936691 “Refrigerant pipe for ice making and manufacturing method thereof” (registered on January 13, 2010)

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an ice-making device that can repeat the ice-making operation by lifting and lowering a water storage tank containing ice-making water to separate it from the ice-making rod and refilling the water storage tank with water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice making device that can variously adjust the size of ice produced by adjusting the height of a water storage tank containing water for ice making.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ice-making device that can quickly and always produce ice of the same size without replenishing water in a water storage tank containing ice-making water when producing ice multiple times.

The ice making device according to the present invention includes a plurality of ice making rod members that are supplied with refrigerant inside and a portion of which is submerged in water to produce ice around the outer circumference, and a refrigerant supply pipe connected to the ice making rod members to supply refrigerant into each of the ice making rod members. An ice-making rod structure including a member, a water storage tank in which water in which the ice-making rod member of the ice-making rod structure is immersed is stored, a storage tank raising and lowering unit that raises and lowers the water storage tank, a water supply unit that supplies water to the water storage tank, and the ice-making rod. It is characterized by including an ice storage bin member for storing ice manufactured in the structure.

In one embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention, the size of the ice produced can be adjusted by adjusting the length at which the ice making rod member is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank as the storage tank raising and lowering unit raises and lowers the water storage tank. .

One embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention sets the length at which the ice making rod member is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank according to the ice size set by the user to adjust the height at which the storage tank elevation unit raises and lowers the water storage tank. By doing so, the length at which the ice-making rod member is submerged in the water stored in the water storage tank can be adjusted.

Another embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention is such that the storage tank elevating and lowering unit raises and lowers the water storage tank according to the height of the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank due to previous ice making, so that the ice making rod member is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank. By keeping the length constant, the size of ice produced multiple times can be kept constant.

Another embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention is that the storage tank raising and lowering unit raises and lowers the height of the water storage tank compared to the previous ice making to the same height as the level at which the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank was reduced by the previous ice making, so that the water stored in the water storage tank is stored in the water storage tank. The length at which the ice-making rod member is submerged in water can be kept constant.

In the ice making device according to the present invention, the storage tank elevating and lowering unit includes an elevating and lowering device that raises and lowers the water storage tank; And it may include a storage tank connector that detachably couples the elevating device and the water storage tank.

In the ice making device according to the present invention, the storage tank connection portion includes a fitting member provided on one of the elevating device and the outer surface of the water storage tank; And it may include a fitting insertion member provided on the other side of the elevating device and the outer surface of the water storage tank and open to the upper side or lower side and having a fitting part into which the fitting member is removably inserted.

The ice making device according to the present invention is located in the water storage tank while the water storage tank is positioned at the ice production position, and when the water storage tank is lowered, the ice is withdrawn from the water storage tank and separated from the ice-making rod member into the ice storage bin. It may further include a guide for ice storage that guides the member.

In the ice making device according to the present invention, the ice storage guide portion includes a panel support portion whose position is fixed; and a guide plate member rotatably hinged to the lower end of the panel supporter and guiding the ice separated from the ice-making rod member to the ice storage bin member.

In the ice making device according to the present invention, the guide plate member is inserted into the water storage tank while the water storage tank is located at the ice production position and is positioned supported on the bottom surface of the water storage tank, and when withdrawn from the water storage tank, the guide plate member is placed in a downward position. It may be partially rotated toward the ice storage bin member and positioned to be inclined downward.

In the ice making device according to the present invention, the guide plate member may have a plurality of water passage holes.

The present invention raises and lowers the water storage tank containing ice-making water to separate it from the ice-making rod and replenishes water in the water storage tank to repeat the ice-making work, thereby improving the efficiency of the ice-making work by shortening the time required for ice-making. It has the effect of minimizing water usage.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of controlling the size of the ice produced in various ways by adjusting the height of the water storage tank containing ice-making water.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of quickly producing ice of the same size at all times without replenishing water in the water storage tank containing ice-making water when producing ice multiple times.

1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of an ice making device according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view illustrating the coupling structure of the water storage tank in the ice making device according to the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a water storage tank in an ice making device according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of controlling the size of ice produced in the ice making device according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of maintaining the size of ice produced multiple times at a constant level in the ice making device according to the present invention.

The detailed description of the present invention described below refers to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention are different from one another but are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures and characteristics described herein may be implemented in one embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, it should be understood that the location or arrangement of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the detailed description that follows is not intended to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims, together with all equivalents to what those claims assert, if properly described. Similar reference numbers in the drawings refer to identical or similar functions across various aspects.

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

1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating an ice making device according to the present invention, Figure 4 is a partial enlarged perspective view illustrating the coupling structure of the water storage tank 200 in the ice making device according to the present invention, and Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the ice making device according to the present invention. It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the water storage tank 200 in the ice making device according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of controlling the size of ice produced in the ice making device according to the present invention, and Figure 7 is a view illustrating an embodiment of the water storage tank 200 according to the present invention. This is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of maintaining the size of ice produced multiple times at a constant level in the ice making device according to the invention.

An embodiment of an ice making device including an ice making rod structure according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

The ice making device according to the present invention includes an ice-making rod structure 100 that produces ice by immersing in water, a water storage tank 200 that stores water in which the ice-making rod member 110 of the ice-making rod structure 100 is submerged, and a water storage tank 200. ) includes a storage tank raising and lowering unit 300 that raises and lowers the water storage tank 200, a water supply unit 400 that supplies water to the water storage tank 200, and an ice storage bin member 500 that stores ice produced in the ice-making rod structure 100. .

At this time, the ice-making rod structure 100 is connected to a plurality of ice-making rod members 110 and a plurality of ice-making rod members 110 that are supplied with refrigerant inside and a portion of which is immersed in water to produce ice around the outer circumference, so that each ice-making rod It includes a refrigerant supply pipe member 120 that supplies refrigerant into the member 110. The ice-making rod member 110 has a hemispherical end and has a tubular shape with a flow path through which the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerant supply pipe member 120 can flow, and is made of a material with high thermal conductivity so that the refrigerant flows inside. It should be noted that since this is a known ice-making pipe structure capable of producing ice around the outer circumference using a refrigerant, further detailed description will be omitted. The ice-making rod member 110 produces ice (10; 10a, 10b, 10c) around the outside with refrigerant flowing into the inside while the lower end is submerged in water, and after the ice (10) is produced, a high temperature is formed inside. It has a structure to separate the ice 10 produced by the inflow of gas.

The ice making device according to the present invention includes an ice making housing part 600 in which an ice making rod structure 100 is located at the top and a water storage tank 200, a storage tank elevation part 300, and an ice storage bin member 500 are located inside. Includes more.

The water storage tank 200 is a storage tank formed with an open top, and the ice-making rod member 110 can be inserted into or separated from the inside through the open top.

The storage tank elevation unit 300 lifts the water storage tank 200 to move it to a preset ice production position, or lowers the water storage tank 200 to separate and remove the ice 10 produced from the ice-making rod member 110. It can be moved to the ice separation position.

That is, the water storage tank 200 is positioned so that ice 10 can be manufactured by submerging the ice-making rod member 110 in the water inside at the ice manufacturing position, and is moved to the ice separation position after ice 10 is manufactured. The ice-making rod member 110 that manufactured the ice 10 may fall out and be separated.

The water supply unit 400 includes a water supply pipe member 410 that supplies water into the water storage tank 200 located at the ice production location, and the water supply pipe member 410 is located on the upper side of the ice making housing unit 600 to supply water. While the storage tank 200 is lifted and moved to the ice production position, water is supplied into the water storage tank 200.

The water supply unit 400 is located within the ice-making housing unit 600, stores water supplied into the water storage tank 200, and may further include a water tank unit 420 connected to the water supply pipe member 410. In addition, although not shown, it further includes a pump that supplies water in the water tank unit 420 to the water storage tank 200 through the water supply pipe member 410.

The water storage tank 200 is lowered by the storage tank elevating and lowering unit 300 after the ice 10 is manufactured in the ice-making rod member 110, and after the ice 10 is separated from the ice-making rod member 110, it is lowered again. It is located in an ice manufacturing location.

After the ice 10 is manufactured, the water storage tank 200 is lowered by the storage tank raising/lowering unit 300 to store the water inside.

Since the water storage tank 200 is replenished by the water supply unit 400 only by the amount of water used in making ice among the water stored inside, the amount of water required for water replenishment is minimized, and the amount required for water replenishment and cooling the replenished water is minimized. The time required to make ice can be reduced significantly and ice production can be increased.

The storage tank raising and lowering unit 300 includes a raising and lowering device 310 that raises and lowers the water storage tank 200, and a storage tank connection portion 320 that detachably couples the raising and lowering device 310 and the water storage tank 200.

The storage tank connection part 320 is a fitting member 321 provided on one of the outer surfaces of the elevating device 310 and the water storage tank 200, and the outer surface of the elevating device 310 and the water storage tank 200. It includes a fitting insertion member 322 that is provided on the other side and is open to the upper or lower side and has a fitting portion into which the fitting member 321 is removably inserted.

The fitting member 321 is provided to protrude upward from the moving member 312, which is moved up and down by the elevating and lowering device 310, and the fitting insertion member 322 is provided on the outer surface of the water storage tank 200. , an example is provided with a fitting part open to the lower side.

In more detail, the elevating device 310 includes a elevating screw member 311 that stands vertically and is rotatably positioned, and the elevating screw member 311 is penetrated and screwed together in the rotation direction of the elevating screw member 311. It includes a moving member 312 that moves up and down, and a raising and lowering rotation motor 313 that rotates the raising and lowering screw member 311.

As an example, the moving member 312 has a ball screw structure through which the raising and lowering screw member 311 penetrates and is screwed together.

The lifting and lowering device 310 rotates the lifting and lowering screw member 311 clockwise or counterclockwise by the operation of the lifting and lowering rotation motor 313, and the moving member 312 moves the lifting and lowering screw member 311. It moves up and down along the raising and lowering screw member 311 according to the direction of rotation.

In addition, the lifting and lowering device 310 includes a hydraulic cylinder, a ball screw-type linear actuator, a rack gear, and a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear and rotated by a motor, and a rack and pinion structure that converts the rotational force of the motor into linear movement. It can be implemented in various modifications using the lifting and lowering device, so a more detailed description will be omitted.

In addition, the moving member 312 is provided with a fitting member 321 that protrudes toward the upper side, and a fitting insertion member 322 into which the fitting member 321 is fitted and coupled is positioned so as to protrude on the outer surface of the water storage tank 200. .

The fitting insertion member 322 is open to the lower side and has a fitting portion into which the fitting member 321 is inserted.

The water storage tank 200 is simply coupled to the lifting device 310 by inserting the fitting member 321 into the fitting insertion member 322, and is raised and lowered by separating the fitting member 321 from the fitting insertion member 322. It can be simply separated from the device 310.

The water storage tank 200 can be simply coupled and separated from the elevating and lowering device 310 through a fitting structure, making it easy to perform maintenance work, including internal cleaning.

In one embodiment of the ice making device according to the present invention, the water storage tank 200 is located in the water storage tank 200 in an ice production position, and when the water storage tank 200 is lowered, the water storage tank 200 is withdrawn from the water storage tank 200. It further includes an ice storage guide 700 that guides the ice separated from the ice-making rod member 110 to the ice storage bin member 500.

The ice storage guide 700 is rotatably hinged to the panel support 710, whose position is fixed, and the lower end of the panel support 710, and transfers ice separated from the ice-making rod member 110 to the ice storage bin member 500. ) includes a guide plate member 720 that guides to.

As an example, the panel support part 710 is mounted on the ice making housing part 600 and is fixed in position to support the position of the guide plate member 720. In addition, the position where the ice making device including the ice making rod structure according to the present invention is installed is installed. It should be noted that the position may be fixed by being mounted on a support such as another structure provided in .

The guide plate member 720 has a plurality of water passage holes 721 so that when the water storage tank 200 is raised and lowered by the storage tank elevation unit 300 and submerged in water in the water storage tank 200, water is supplied without resistance due to water. It can be stably inserted into the storage tank 200.

The guide plate member 720 is rotatably hinged to the lower end of the panel supporter 710, is partially rotated downward, and is positioned to be inclined downward toward the ice storage bin member 500 to separate the ice (10) from the ice-making rod member (110). ) is guided to the ice storage bin member 500.

That is, the guide plate member 720 is inserted into the water storage tank 200 while the water storage tank 200 is located at the ice production position and is supported on the bottom surface of the water storage tank 200. ) is located at the ice separation position, it is separated from the water storage tank 200, rotates slightly downward, and is tilted downward toward the ice storage bucket member 500.

A full ice sensor unit 510 is installed in the ice storage bin member 500 to detect that the ice 10 is filled inside, and the full ice sensor unit 510 detects that the ice storage bin member 500 is full of ice. It can be configured to do so.

When the full ice sensor unit 510 detects that the ice storage bin member 500 is filled with ice, the production of ice 10 by the ice-making rod member 110 stops, and the ice 10 in the ice storage bin member 500 is stopped. When the ice storage bin member 500 is partially or completely emptied, ice 10 can be manufactured again using the ice-making rod member 110.

Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an ice making device according to the present invention before ice is manufactured, Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of ice making using the ice making device according to the present invention, and Figure 3 is an ice making device according to the present invention. This figure shows an example of separating ice from the ice-making rod member 110 and moving it to the ice storage bin member 500 after making ice.

Referring to FIG. 1, when the water storage tank 200 is lifted and lowered by the storage tank elevation unit 300 and placed in the ice production position, water is supplied into the water storage tank 200 through the water supply pipe member 410 and filled with a preset amount of water. Prepare to make ice.

When the water storage tank 200 is filled with a preset amount of water, the refrigerant is supplied to the ice-making rod member 110 through the refrigerant supply pipe member 120 to produce ice around the outer circumference of the ice-making rod member 110.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 2, ice 10 is manufactured from the ice-making rod member 110 submerged in water within the water storage tank 200.

When the production of ice is completed through the ice-making rod member 110, as shown in FIG. 3, the water storage tank 200 is lowered by the storage tank elevation unit 300 and moved to the ice separation position.

After the water storage tank 200 member is moved to the ice separation position, the guide plate member 720 is separated from the water storage tank 200, is partially rotated downward, and is tilted downward toward the ice storage tank member 500.

Then, when high-temperature gas is supplied into the ice-making rod member 110 through the refrigerant supply pipe member 120, the ice-making rod member 110 melts the inner peripheral surface of the ice, that is, the inner peripheral surface of the ice attached to the ice-making rod member 110, thereby forming the ice. It is dropped to the lower end of the ice-making rod member 110, and the ice separated from the ice-making rod member 110 is guided by the guide plate member 720 and stored in the ice storage bin member 500.

When all the ice is separated from the ice-making rod member 110 and moved into the ice storage bin member 500, the water storage tank 200 is moved back to the ice production position by the storage tank elevating and lowering unit 300, and the process of manufacturing ice is as follows. Ice is manufactured by repeating the water replenishment, ice production, and ice separation processes described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 to fill the ice storage container member 500 with ice.

Accordingly, the present invention raises and lowers the water storage tank 200 containing ice-making water to separate it from the ice-making rod and refills the water storage tank 200 with water to repeat the ice-making operation, thereby shortening the time required for ice-making. It has the effect of improving work efficiency and minimizing water usage when making ice.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as the storage tank raising and lowering unit 300 raises and lowers the water storage tank 200, the ice-making rod member 110 is added to the water stored in the water storage tank 200. You can control the size of the ice produced by setting the submerged length.

At this time, in order to adjust the length at which the ice-making rod member 110 is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank 200, the storage tank raising and lowering unit 300 raises and lowers the water storage tank 200 according to the ice size set by the user. You can.

More specifically, the ice making device according to the present invention may be provided with an interface for receiving motion input from the user, a control unit for controlling the overall operation of the ice making device, such as the operation of the lifting and lowering device 310 according to the user's input, and a memory. When the user selects the ice size (large/medium/small) through the interface, the control unit controls the operation of the elevating and lowering device 310 to raise the water storage tank 200 so that ice can be manufactured in the corresponding size. The descent height can be adjusted.

The raising and lowering device 310 adjusts the height (H; H _a , H _b , H _c ) of the water storage tank 200 and accordingly adjusts the length at which the ice-making rod member 110 is submerged in water in the water storage tank 200. By doing so, the size of the ice (10; 10a, 10b, 10c) produced by the ice-making rod member 110 can be adjusted.

For example, according to the user's ice size (large/medium/small) setting, as shown in (a) to (c) of Figure 6, the elevating and lowering device 310 increases the height of the water storage tank 200 ( H; Ha, Hb, Hc) is adjusted and the length at which the ice-making rod member 110 is submerged in water in the water storage tank 200 is adjusted step by step, so that the size of the ice produced can be divided into large/medium/small. there is.

Meanwhile, the ice making device according to the present invention may further include a height measurement sensor unit 220 that detects the height of the water storage tank 200, thereby adjusting the length at which the ice making rod member 110 is submerged.

In Figure 6, the height measurement sensor unit 220, which detects the height of the water storage tank 200, is located on the lower surface of the water storage tank 200 and measures the distance from the reference point on the lower side to determine the height of the water storage tank 200. It is shown as measuring, but in some cases, it is located on the side or top of the water storage tank 200 or outside the water storage tank 200 to measure the height of the water storage tank 200 or the ice-making rod structure 100 and the water storage tank 200 from the bottom. ) can be configured to measure the relative distance between heights, and this height measurement sensor unit 220 can be implemented in various ways with known distance measurement sensors such as a laser distance sensor.

In addition, in the present invention, the height measurement sensor unit 220 that detects the height of the water storage tank 200 is expressed as a sensor, but the height information of the raising and lowering device 310 itself is measured to measure the height of the water storage tank 200. It should be noted that this configuration also includes height detection.

The lifting and lowering device 310 receives the height information (or relative distance information between the ice-making rod structure 100 and the water storage tank 200) of the water storage tank 200 detected by the height measurement sensor unit 220 and stores the water storage tank 200 in the water storage tank 200. By adjusting the height of (200), the length at which the ice-making rod member (110) is submerged in water in the water storage tank (200) can be adjusted.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, users can select and manufacture ice to suit the size of ice used for various purposes, thereby greatly improving satisfaction during use.

In addition, referring to FIG. 7, in the ice making device according to another embodiment of the present invention, the storage tank raising and lowering unit 300 moves the water storage tank 200 according to the height at which the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank 200 is reduced due to previous ice making. By maintaining the length at which the ice-making rod member 110 is submerged in the water stored in the water storage tank 200 by being raised and lowered, the size of the ice produced multiple times can be kept constant.

At this time, the storage tank elevating and lowering unit 300 raises the height of the water storage tank 200 to the same height as the level at which the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank 200 was reduced by the previous deicing, so that the water stored in the water storage tank 200 is lowered compared to the previous deicing time. The length at which the ice-making rod member 110 is submerged in water can be kept constant to be the same as during previous ice-making.

In the case of producing ice multiple times, the ice making device according to the present invention can omit the process of replenishing water into the water storage tank 200 between the previous ice making and the next ice making. In this case, the process of replenishing water in the water storage tank 200 can be omitted. Since the level of water stored in the water storage tank 200 decreases later, when the height of the water storage tank 200 is kept the same as during previous ice making, the size of the ice produced decreases.

In other words, if water is not separately replenished into the water storage tank 200 after the ice 10 is manufactured, water is consumed during ice making and the water level in the water storage tank 200 decreases. The ice making device according to the present invention In this case, the height of the water storage tank 200 is raised upward by the lowered water level so that the size of the ice produced can be maintained constant during the process of ice making multiple times.

In the case of producing ice multiple times, the ice making device according to the present invention raises the water storage tank 200 to the same height as the level at which the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank 200 was reduced by previous ice making. By raising the height of the ice from the previous ice-making, the size of the ice produced next time can be kept constant as in the previous ice-making without replenishing water in the water reservoir 200 between the previous ice-making and the next ice-making. there is.

More specifically, the ice making device according to the present invention is the difference between the level of water stored in the water storage tank 200 before the ice 10 is manufactured and the level of the water stored in the water storage tank 200 after the ice 10 is manufactured ( Information on the amount of water consumed after ice making, h; h ₁ , h ₂ ) is stored in advance in memory, and based on the information stored in the memory, the control unit controls the raising and lowering device 310 to increase the height (H) of the water storage tank 200. ; By adjusting H ₁ , H ₂ , H ₃ ), the ice-making rod member 110 is submerged in water in the water storage tank 200 without replenishing water into the water storage tank 200 after the ice 10 is manufactured. The length can be kept constant.

For example, according to the user's ice size (large/medium/small) setting, the height of the water storage tank 200 during the first ice making was H ₁ , and the water level difference in the water storage tank 200 after the first ice making was h. If ₁ , the height of the water storage tank 200 is raised and lowered to H ₂ (=H ₁ + h ₁ ) during the second ice making according to the control of the raising and lowering device 310 of the control unit, so that the ice 10 produced for the second time is The size of is maintained the same as the size of the ice 10 manufactured for the first time. And, if the height of the water storage tank 200 during the second ice making was H ₂ and the water level difference in the water storage tank 200 after the second ice making was h ₂ , the third ice making was performed according to the control of the lifting device 310 of the control unit. By adjusting the height of the water storage tank 200 up and down to H ₃ (=H ₂ +h ₂ ), the size of the ice 10 manufactured for the 3rd time is adjusted to the size of the ice 10 manufactured for the 1st time and the size of the ice 10 manufactured for the 2nd time. Maintain the same size as the ice (10).

Accordingly, in the ice making device according to the present invention, even if the process of separately replenishing water into the water storage tank 200 is omitted each time ice making is repeated, the size of the ice produced multiple times thereafter is the same as the size of ice set by the user. Since it can be maintained, the speed at which ice 10 is manufactured multiple times can be more quickly reduced.

Meanwhile, the ice making device according to the present invention further includes a water level sensor unit 210 that detects the water level in the water storage tank 200, so that the length at which the ice making rod member 110 is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank 200 is fixed. You can also keep it.

In Figure 7, the water level sensor unit 210, which detects the water level in the water storage tank 200, is shown as being located inside the water storage tank 200 and measuring the water level filled within the water storage tank 200. However, in some cases, the water level sensor unit 210 may be used to measure the water level in the water storage tank 200. It may be located at the top of the water storage tank 200 or outside the water storage tank 200 and configured to measure the level of water stored in the water storage tank 200.

The water level sensor unit 210 measures the level of water stored in the water storage tank 200 before the ice 10 is manufactured, and measures the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank 200 after the ice 10 is manufactured. , the difference (h; h ₁ , h ₂ ) between the water level before the ice 10 is manufactured and the water level after the ice 10 is manufactured is measured.

The control unit receives information on the water level difference (amount of water consumed after ice making, h) of the water storage tank 200 detected by the water level sensor unit 210 and controls the raising and lowering device 310 to adjust the height (H) of the water storage tank 200. By adjusting, it is possible to keep the length of the ice-making rod member 110 submerged in water in the water storage tank 200 constant without replenishing water into the water storage tank 200 after the ice 10 is manufactured.

The raising and lowering device 310 operates the water storage tank 200 according to the water level difference (h; h ₁ , h ₂ ) of the water storage tank 200 detected by the water level sensor unit 210 before and after the ice 10 is manufactured. By adjusting the height (H; H ₁ , H ₂ , H ₃ ) to keep the length of the ice-making rod member 110 submerged in water in the water storage tank 200 constant, the ice-making rod member 110 is applied multiple times. The size of the ice 10 produced by this method can be kept constant.

Meanwhile, as the water level in the water storage tank 200 is detected by the water level sensor unit 210, the minimum amount of water required to produce ice 10 in the water storage tank 200 is checked, and if necessary, water is added inside. can be supplemented.

The above-described embodiments are for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described embodiments can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the above-described embodiments. You will understand. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, each component described as unitary may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope sought to be protected through this specification is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and should be interpreted to include the meaning and scope of the claims and all changes or modified forms derived from the equivalent concept.

100: Ice-making rod structure 110: Ice-making rod member
120: refrigerant supply pipe member 200: water storage tank
210: water level sensor unit 220: height measurement sensor unit
300: Storage tank elevating and lowering unit 310: Elevating and lowering device
311: raising and lowering screw member 312: moving member
313: Raising and lowering rotation motor 320: Storage tank connection part
321: Fitting member 322: Fitting insertion member
400: water supply unit 410: water supply pipe member
420: Water tank part 500: Ice storage bucket member
510: full ice sensor unit 600: ice making housing unit
700: Ice storage guide 710: Panel support
720: Information board member

Claims (11)

An ice-making rod comprising a plurality of ice-making rod members supplied with refrigerant inside and partially immersed in water to produce ice around the outer circumference, and a refrigerant supply pipe member connected to the ice-making rod members to supply refrigerant into each of the ice-making rod members. struct;
a water storage tank storing water in which the ice-making rod member of the ice-making rod structure is immersed;
a storage tank raising and lowering unit that raises and lowers the water storage tank;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the water storage tank; and
It includes an ice storage bin member that stores ice produced from the ice-making rod structure,
By setting the length at which the ice-making rod member is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank according to the ice size set by the user and adjusting the height at which the storage tank elevating and lowering unit raises and lowers the water storage tank, the ice is made in the water stored in the water storage tank. The size of the ice produced can be adjusted by adjusting the length at which the rod member is submerged.
The storage tank elevating and lowering unit includes an elevating device that raises and lowers the water storage tank, and a storage tank connection portion that separably couples the elevating device and the water storage tank,
The reservoir connection part includes a fitting member provided on one of the outer surfaces of the elevating and lowering device and the water storage tank, and is provided on the other side of the elevating and lowering device and the outer surface of the water storage tank and opens to the upper or lower side. An ice making device comprising a fitting insertion member provided with a fitting portion into which the fitting member is removably inserted. delete delete An ice-making rod comprising a plurality of ice-making rod members supplied with refrigerant inside and partially immersed in water to produce ice around the outer circumference, and a refrigerant supply pipe member connected to the ice-making rod members to supply refrigerant into each of the ice-making rod members. struct;
a water storage tank storing water in which the ice-making rod member of the ice-making rod structure is immersed;
a storage tank raising and lowering unit that raises and lowers the water storage tank;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the water storage tank; and
It includes an ice storage bin member that stores ice produced from the ice-making rod structure,
The storage tank elevating and lowering unit raises and lowers the height of the water storage tank to the same height as the level at which the water level of the water stored in the water storage tank decreased due to the previous ice making, so that the length at which the ice making rod member is immersed in the water stored in the water storage tank is set to a certain level. By maintaining this, the size of ice produced multiple times can be kept constant.
The storage tank elevating and lowering unit includes an elevating device that raises and lowers the water storage tank, and a storage tank connection portion that separably couples the elevating device and the water storage tank,
The reservoir connection part includes a fitting member provided on one of the outer surfaces of the elevating and lowering device and the water storage tank, and is provided on the other side of the elevating and lowering device and the outer surface of the water storage tank and opens to the upper or lower side. An ice making device comprising a fitting insertion member provided with a fitting portion into which the fitting member is removably inserted. delete delete delete According to any one of paragraphs 1 and 4,
An ice storage device that is located within the water storage tank while the water storage tank is positioned at the ice production position, and when the water storage tank is lowered, the ice is withdrawn from the water storage tank and guides the ice separated from the ice-making rod member to the ice storage bucket member. An ice making device further comprising a guide portion. In paragraph 8:
The ice storage guide,
a panel support whose position is fixed; and
An ice making device comprising a guide plate member rotatably hinged to a lower end of the panel supporter and guiding ice separated from the ice making rod member to an ice storage bin member. In paragraph 9:
The information board member is,
When the water storage tank is located at the ice production position, it is inserted into the water storage tank and positioned in a supported state on the bottom surface of the water storage tank, and when withdrawn from the water storage tank, it is partially rotated downward and positioned to be inclined downward toward the ice storage bucket member. An ice making device characterized in that In paragraph 10:
An ice making device, characterized in that the guide plate member has a plurality of water passage holes.