KR19990066484A - Refrigerator water supply device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water supply device for a refrigerator ice maker and a control method thereof. In the related art, when the external water pressure is low, the ice is small or the ice is empty, so the quality of the ice is reduced, and when the water pressure is high, the water is an ice making container. As the quality of the ice depends on the external pressure conditions, such as overflow, the user's dissatisfaction is increased, and there is a problem that a claim may be generated.

Therefore, the present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is inexpensive and simple structure by providing a device and a method for ensuring a constant ice quality by always supplying constant water to the ice maker of the ice maker. By supplying a constant amount of water to the ice maker at any external water pressure change, it solves the poor quality of the ice and also improves the secondary mechanical system (e. There is an effect to prevent noise and damage by.

Description

Refrigerator water supply device and control method thereof

The present invention relates to a water supply device for a refrigerator ice maker and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a water supply device for a refrigerator ice maker and a control method thereof so as to always supply constant water to an ice maker of the ice maker to ensure good ice quality. It is about.

Recently, as the dietary culture of our country is gradually westernized, the rate of bill consumption is greatly increasing. Also, as the tastes of consumers are gradually diversified, multifunctional large capacity refrigerators equipped with various convenience facilities are rapidly spreading to general households. Is in. The most representative example of such a convenient facility is a dispenser that allows water or ice to be easily taken out of the refrigerator.

In general, an internal structure of a refrigerator having a dispenser capable of selectively extracting water or ice includes a water supply unit 10 for supplying water introduced from the outside into the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment, as shown in FIG. 1; A water tank 20 for storing water supplied from the water supply unit 10; A water supply pipe 31 for transferring water supplied from the water tank 20 to a refrigerating chamber; The dispenser 40 is configured to selectively take out the water transferred through the water supply pipe 31 and the ice supplied from the water supply unit 10.

The water supply unit 10 and the water supply valve 11 for supplying or blocking the water flowing through the external water pipe; A filter 12 for purifying water supplied through the water supply valve 11; It consists of a water supply control valve 13 for distributing the purified water through the filter 12 toward the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment.

The ice making unit 30 includes an ice making container 33 for receiving the water transferred through the water supply pipe 31; An ice maker 32 for ice-making water contained in the ice maker 33; It consists of an ice storage container 34 for receiving and storing the ice iced by the ice maker 32 from the ice making container 33, the ice storage container 34 is connected to the dispenser (40). .

The dispenser 40 has a front panel 42 of the dispenser 40 installed at one side of the refrigerating compartment door, and the front panel 42 has a water selection button 45 and an ice selection button for selecting a desired item. 46 is formed, and an outlet 43 for discharging the item is formed inside the front panel 42, and the outlet 43 is pressurized and operated so that the dispenser 40 can be operated. The lever 44 protrudes.

The refrigerator having the conventional dispenser 40 as described above is connected to the water supply control valve 13 by controlling the water supply control valve 13 by a predetermined signal transmitted from an internal microcomputer (not shown). When one of the water supply pipes 31 and 41 is opened, the purified water flowing through the water supply unit 10 is supplied to the ice maker 33 or the dispenser 40 of the refrigerating chamber to stand by in ice or water. 2 and 3, when the user withdraws water through the dispenser 40, the water is constantly filled in the water tank 20, and when a predetermined amount of ice is iced, the filler arm 35 The detection stops the ice making operation.

When the ice making is completed for a predetermined time, the rotational force generating unit (not shown) is operated to rotate the ice making container 33 by 180 degrees to ice the ice, and when this ice is completed, the water supply proceeds later. When this is completed, one cycle of the ice making stroke ends, and the ice making stroke is repeated until the user desires ice amount.

As described above, in the prior art, when the external water pressure is low, the ice is small or the ice is empty, so the quality of the ice is reduced, and when the water pressure is high, the water may be overflowed into the ice making container. By this influence, the user's dissatisfaction is increased, and there is a problem that there is a concern that a claim is generated.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a device and method for ensuring a good ice quality by constantly supplying constant water to an ice maker of an ice maker.

1 is a schematic internal structural diagram of a refrigerator provided with a dispenser for water / ice selective extraction;

Figure 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a water supply device of a conventional ice maker for a refrigerator.

3 is a flowchart of a conventional operation.

Figure 4 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a water supply device of the icemaker for a refrigerator of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a correlation graph of the water supply amount and the water supply valve opening time according to the present invention.

6 is an operational flowchart according to the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

10: water supply unit 11: water supply valve

12 filter 13 water supply control valve

20, 54: water tank 30: ice making unit

31, 41: water supply pipe 32: ice maker

33: ice tray 34: ice storage container

40: dispenser 42: front panel

43: outlet 44: ejection lever

45: water selection button 46: ice selection button

50: cover 51: water level sensor

52: flapper 53: water guide

55: spring 56: water inlet

57: sealing member 58: ice

In the refrigerator of the present invention the water supply device of the refrigerator ice maker for achieving the above object is a refrigerator comprising a body formed with a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment, and an ice maker installed on one side of the freezer compartment to create ice cubes, A water tank formed to have a predetermined internal volume and installed at an upper portion of the body to store water supplied from a water supply pipe; A water guide inserted into one side of the body so that water stored in the water tank is supplied into the ice maker of the freezing chamber; A flapper coupled to one side end of the water guide to open and close the water guide; It is characterized in that it comprises a spring coupled to one side of the water guide to elastically support the flapper.

In addition, the control method includes: a first step of determining whether the water level has been reached by detecting the water supply when the water tank starts; A second step of determining whether the ice making is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed by opening a water supply valve corresponding to the amount of water and supplying water to the ice maker according to the determination result of the first step; After the ice is driven by turning the rotational force generator according to the determination result of the second step, the driving of the rotational force generator is stopped, the water is supplied to the water tank, and the third step of determining whether the set water level is reached is repeated. Characterized in that.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 4 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the water supply device of the refrigerator ice maker according to the present invention, a body formed with a freezer compartment and a refrigerating compartment as shown therein, and an ice maker installed on one side of the freezer compartment to create ice chips A refrigerator comprising: a water tank (54) formed to have a predetermined internal volume and installed at an upper portion of the body to store water supplied from a water supply pipe (31); A water guide 53 penetrating and inserted into one side of the body such that water stored in the water tank 54 is supplied into the ice maker 32 of the freezing chamber; A flapper 52 coupled to one end of the water guide 53 to open and close the water guide 53; It is configured to include a spring 55 is coupled to one side of the water guide 53 to elastically support the flapper (52).

Referring to the operation and effect of the embodiment according to the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

6 is an operation flowchart according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, after a predetermined time has elapsed since power is applied to the refrigerator, it is determined whether ice is present in the ice maker 32 and the ice maker 33, and this determination is made. According to the result, as shown in FIG. 4, the take-out machine (not shown) in the ice maker 32 rotates for take-out, and in conjunction with this, the filler arm 35 also rotates. Location. In this case, if the ice 58 is full, the filler arm 35 cannot be lowered to the DOWN position by the stacked ice 58, so that the ice is detected by a microcomputer (not shown). Do not apply power to the water supply valve (11).

However, when the ice 58 is not full, the filler arm 35 is lowered from the UP position to the DOWN position, and the water supply valve 11 is opened by the microcomputer to open the water supply pipe 41 of the ice maker 32. Accordingly, the water tank 54 is filled with water.

At this time, if the water pressure is high or the filter arm 35 is not blocked, the water filling speed becomes high, and vice versa, but water is filled in the water tank 54 in a predetermined amount.

When the water is filled, the water supply valve 11 is closed by the electrical sensing means using the conductivity of the water, and then the water level sensor 51 detects the water level in the water tank 54.

As shown in FIG. 5, when water is supplied to the water tank 54 by opening the water supply valve 11 by supplying an appropriate amount of water to the water level in the water tank 54, the atmospheric pressure acting on the liquid level on the water tank 54 side. Due to this, the water in the water tank 54 is supplied in the order of the water guide 53 and the ice making container 33 through the water inlet 56.

The water thus supplied proceeds in the same manner as in the conventional ice making process and is repeated until a certain amount of ice is iced.

In addition, a sealing member 57 is attached to an end of the water guide 53 which is coupled to one side end of the water guide 53 and is in contact with the flapper 52 that opens and closes the water guide 53. 53) and the flapper 52 is completely sealed to prevent water from leaking out.

As described above, the water supply device and the control method of the icemaker for a refrigerator of the present invention are inexpensive and simple in structure, so that a constant amount of water is always supplied to the ice maker at any external water pressure change, thereby eliminating the defect of ice quality. Secondary mechanical systems (e.g., take-off, take-out, etc.) for the poor quality of ice have been improved to prevent noise and damage caused by the restraint of the mechanical system.

Claims (3)

A refrigerator comprising a body having a freezing compartment and a refrigerating compartment formed therein and an ice maker installed at one side of the freezing compartment to form ice cubes; A water tank formed to have a predetermined internal volume and installed at an upper portion of the body to store water supplied from a water supply pipe; A water guide inserted into one side of the body so that water stored in the water tank is supplied into the ice maker of the freezing chamber; A flapper coupled to one side end of the water guide to open and close the water guide; The water supply device of the icemaker for a refrigerator, characterized in that it comprises a spring coupled to one side of the water guide to elastically support the flapper. The water supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein a sealing member is attached to an end portion of the water guide in contact with the flapper. A first step of detecting when the water supply to the water tank starts and determining whether the water level has been set; A second step of determining whether the ice making is completed after a predetermined time has elapsed by opening a water supply valve corresponding to the amount of water and supplying water to the ice maker according to the determination result of the first step; After the ice is driven by turning the rotational force generator according to the determination result of the second step, the driving of the rotational force generator is stopped, the water is supplied to the water tank, and the third step of determining whether the set water level is reached is repeated. Water supply control method of the ice maker for a refrigerator, characterized in that.