KR20070021922A - Ice maker and refrigerator having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An ice maker and a refrigerator having the same are disclosed. In the ice maker and the refrigerator having the same according to the present invention, a deicing printed circuit board provided in the ice maker shares some components of the main printed circuit board, or the main printed circuit board includes some components of the deicing printed circuit board. Its purpose is to allow various effects to be obtained by accepting it. Refrigerator according to the present invention for this purpose, the ice maker is made of an automatic de-icing operation for producing ice by freezing the water supplied; A first printed circuit board having a power supply and controlling cooling of the cooling chamber; The ice maker and the first printed circuit board share a power supply.

Refrigerator, ice maker, main printed circuit board, heater, ejector

Description

ICE MAKER AND REFRIGERATOR HAVING THE SAME}

1 is a view showing a refrigerator having a conventional ice maker.

2 is a view showing a connection relationship between a main printed circuit board and an ice maker in a conventional refrigerator.

3 is a view showing an ice maker of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a view showing a wiring relationship between a main printed circuit board and an ice maker in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a view showing the configuration of the main printed circuit board and the deicing printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main printed circuit board and a deicing printed circuit board according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

10, 310: Ice Maker

11, 311: cup

12, 312: mold part

14, 314: ejector

15, 315: motor

16, 316: slider

17, 317: full moon detection lever

19, 319, 319a: printed circuit board for ice making

20, 320, 320a, 320b: water supply valve

21, 421, 421a, 421b: main printed circuit board

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator having an ice maker that manufactures and supplies ice, and in which devices required to drive the ice maker are mounted on a separate printed circuit board.

1 is a view showing a refrigerator having a conventional ice maker. As shown in Fig. 1, the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment are partitioned by barriers, and the main body 2 equipped with a refrigerating cycle device for keeping the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment at a low temperature is pivotable to the main body 2 to open and close the freezer compartment. And a freezer compartment door 6 rotatably connected to the main body 2 to open and close the refrigerating compartment. The refrigeration cycle apparatus includes a compressor (not shown) for compressing low-temperature, low-pressure gas refrigerant, a condenser (not shown) in which the high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor is radiated to outside air, and condensed, and an expansion in which the refrigerant condensed in the condenser is decompressed. A device (not shown) and an evaporator (not shown) in which the adiabatic expansion refrigerant in the expansion device takes heat from the freezer compartment and the refrigerating compartment and evaporates.

Recently, the automatic de-icing device is installed to take out the ice after using the cold air of the freezer. The automatic ice maker is mounted on the inner upper part of the freezer compartment to make ice maker 10 ice-making water in the freezer compartment, and an ice bank 30 mounted to the freezer compartment so that the ice iced by the ice maker 10 is iced and contained. ), An ice chute for guiding the ice contained in the ice bank 30 to fall into the dispenser 40, and the dispenser 40 formed in the freezer door 4 to take out ice to the outside without opening and closing the freezer door 4). It consists of 50.

2 is a view showing a connection relationship between a main printed circuit board and an ice maker in a conventional refrigerator. As shown in FIG. 2, the existing refrigerator includes a main printed circuit board 21 on the top of the main body 2 for controlling cooling of the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment of the refrigerator and an ice making machine for controlling the ice maker 10. The printed circuit board 19 is provided in the ice maker 10 separately. Each of the main printed circuit board 21 and the deicing printed circuit board 19 is provided with a unique microcomputer and a power supply unit.

However, such a conventional refrigerator has a problem in that the structure of the ice maker is complicated, the size thereof increases, and the manufacturing cost increases because the ice maker controls the ice maker instead of the main printed circuit board.

In addition, by applying a separate power source to the de-icing printed circuit board as described above and operating various circuits independently, there is a problem that the power consumption increases.

In addition, the conventional refrigerator has a relatively large volume occupied by a deicing printed circuit board in the ice maker, and thus, the utilization of the mold part (defrosting region) of the ice maker is reduced by the volume, and thus there is a problem in that the ice making capacity is small.

The refrigerator according to the present invention has various effects by the ice making printed circuit board sharing some components of the main printed circuit board, or the main printed circuit board receiving some components of the ice making printed circuit board. Its purpose is to get it.

The refrigerator according to the present invention for this purpose, the heater for melting the ice made from the mold portion for a predetermined time to discharge to the outside, a motor for rotating the ejector for discharging the ice from the mold portion to the outside by a predetermined angle, An ice maker comprising an ejector sensor for detecting a rotational position, a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of a mold part, and a full ice detection sensor for sensing a rotational position of the ice detection lever; A main printed circuit board for powering the cooling chamber; The main printed circuit board powers the ice maker.

In addition, the ice maker described above further includes a deicing printed circuit board; The de-icing printed circuit board receives power from the main printed circuit board, and receives a signal from an ejector sensor, a temperature sensor, and an ice sensor to control the heater and the motor.

The main printed circuit board described above controls at least one of a heater and a motor of the ice maker.

In addition, the refrigerator and the heater, the motor, the ejector sensor, the temperature sensor, and the ice detection sensor of the ice maker described above are connected to the main printed circuit board by wiring.

The main printed circuit board further includes a microcomputer in which a program for delaying, interlocking, and changing the operation of the ice maker is stored according to a condition table input as operation of the refrigerator and control information.

Another refrigerator according to the present invention for the above object, the ice maker is made of an automatic de-icing operation for producing ice by freezing the water supplied; A first printed circuit board having a power supply and controlling cooling of the cooling chamber; The ice maker and the first printed circuit board share a power supply.

The ice maker described above further includes sensors for detecting information necessary for automatic ice making operation.

The first printed circuit board described above further includes a first microcomputer for controlling the cooling operation of the cooling chamber.

In addition, the above-described first printed circuit board further includes a driving unit for driving the ice maker; The first microcomputer drives the driver to control the automatic ice making operation of the ice maker.

In addition, the above-described first microcomputer receives information necessary for automatic ice making operation from sensors installed in the ice maker and controls the automatic ice making operation of the ice maker.

In the ice maker according to the present invention for the above object, in the ice maker of the refrigerator having a first printed circuit board having a power supply unit and controlling the cooling of the cooling chamber, from the power supply unit provided on the first printed circuit board Automatic de-icing operation is performed by receiving power.

In addition, the ice maker described above further includes sensors for detecting information necessary for automatic ice making operation.

In addition, the above-described first printed circuit board further includes a driving unit for driving the ice maker; In the ice maker described above, automatic ice making operation is controlled through driving of the driving unit by the first microcomputer.

When described in detail with reference to Figures 3 to 6 a preferred embodiment of the present invention made as follows. First, Figure 3 is a view showing an ice maker of a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the cup 311 stores water supplied through the water supply valve (see 520 of FIG. 5) and supplies the stored water to the mold part 312. In the mold 312, water supplied from the cup 311 is iced by cold air in the freezing chamber to make ice. In addition, in the mold part 312, a heater (not shown) heats the mold part 312 to separate the mold part 312 and the ice so that iced ice is taken out. On the upper side of the mold portion 312, an ejector 314 for pouring out the extracted ice is installed to be rotatable. The rotational force of the ejector 314 is generated by the driving force of the ejector motor 315. The ice spread by the ejector 314 is guided into the ice bank by the slider 316. The ice bank is provided with a full ice detection lever 317 for detecting full ice.

In the mold part 312, an ice making space in which water freezes is formed. In the ice making space, a plurality of partition protrusions 312a dividing the ice making space to separate and generate ice are formed. In addition, the mold portion 312 is formed with a connection portion 312b to be fixed to the upper rear surface of the freezer compartment. A heater for heating the mold part 312 so that ice may be separated in the mold part 312 is disposed at the bottom of the mold part 312. This heater is a sheath heater. Instead of uniformly heating the entire outer circumferential surface of the mold portion 312, only the bottom surface of the mold portion 312 is locally heated. In the case of the ejector 314, an axis 314a which is rotated in cooperation with the ejector motor 315 is located above the ice making space, and a plurality of pins 314b are provided on the side surface of the axis 314a in the partition protrusion 312a. By the number of ice-making spaces divided into several pieces. The ejector motor 315 is mounted inside the deicing printed circuit board 319 (second printed circuit board) installed on one side of the mold part 312.

4 is a view showing a wiring relationship between a main printed circuit board and an ice maker in a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the main compartment of the upper part of the refrigerator 402 has a main printed circuit board 421 (first printing) that controls the refrigerating chamber and the freezing chamber (ie, the cooling chamber) and partially controls the ice maker 310. Circuit board) is installed. The main printed circuit board 421 according to the embodiment of the present invention shares or accommodates some of the components mounted on the ice making printed circuit board 319 of the ice maker 310. Allow the size of to be reduced.

For example, the main printed circuit board 421 and the ice making printed circuit board 319 share the power supply so that the size of the ice making printed circuit board 319 can be reduced accordingly, but the control system related to ice making is iced. It is a case where it is left in the maker 310 as it is. At this time, the main printed circuit board 421 controls only the refrigerator compartment and the freezer compartment of the refrigerator while supplying power only to the ice maker 310, and the ice maker 310 including the water supply valve 420 is a deicing printed circuit board 319. (See solid line display in FIG. 5). On the other hand, in the ice maker 310, the main printed circuit board 421 accommodates components such as a driving unit or sensors except for a device directly related to ice making, so that the size of the deicing printed circuit board 319 is further reduced. You may. At this time, the water supply valve 420 and the like are controlled by the main printed circuit board 421 (see dotted line in FIG. 5). In addition, a housing (not shown) may be installed between the main printed circuit board 421 and the ice maker 310 so that the wiring can be firmly and neatly fixed.

In addition, the main printed circuit board 421 disclosed in the present invention may store a program in which the operation of the ice maker 310 is delayed, interlocked, and changed by a condition table inputted by operation and control information of the refrigerator. In this case, the ice maker 310 obtains cold air from the freezer of the refrigerator and automatically ices the ice, so the ice making speed varies according to the state of the refrigerator. Therefore, the ice maker 310 controls the ice maker 310 in association with the refrigerator. It is desirable to.

The process of icing ice completed in the ice maker 410 configured as described above as an ice bank is as follows. In the following description, the main agent of control is either the main printed circuit board 421 or the deicing printed circuit board 319.

First, the water supply valve 420 is controlled to inject water into the mold part 312.

The injected water is frozen in the mold part 312 by cold air discharged into the freezer. As such, when the ice making process is completed, a heater that heats the ice is operated to separate the ice from the mold unit 312. When a predetermined time elapses after the heater is operated, the motor 315 is driven to rotate the ejector 314 for moving the ice in the mold 312 to the ice bank. Then, the ice is continuously heated to a predetermined time while the heater is driven while the motor 315 is driven, and the motor 315 is also driven to a predetermined time while the ice is transferred to the ice bank according to the ejector 314 rotation. The ice is made. At this time, when the motor 315 is driven for a predetermined time, it is determined that the ejector 314 has returned to the initial position for ice-making by turning the inside of the mold 312. Of course, by using the ejector sensor it is possible to more accurately detect the position of the ejector 314.

5 is a view showing the configuration of the main printed circuit board and the deicing printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 5, the main printed circuit board 421a is provided with a power supply unit 502 and a first microcomputer 504, and the first microcomputer 504 is a load inherent to a refrigerator (compressor, fan, etc.). 506 is controlled. The ice maker 310a does not have a separate power supply unit, but instead shares the power supply unit 502 provided on the main printed circuit board 421a. Accordingly, the ice maker 310a operates by receiving power from the power supply unit 502 of the main printed circuit board 421a. Therefore, the ice maker 310a may have a power supply unit mounted on the ice maker 310a of the ice maker 310a. Since no space is required, the area of the de-iced printed circuit board 319a and its installation space can be reduced accordingly.

Referring to the configuration of the ice maker 310a shown in FIG. 5, the second microcomputer 508 that controls the overall operation of the ice maker 31a is mounted on the ice maker printed circuit board 319a. The second microcomputer 508 controls the heater driver 510, the valve driver 512, and the ejector motor driver 514 to drive and control the heater 524, the water supply valve 420a, and the ejector motor 315a, respectively. do. In the ice maker 310a, a rotational position of the temperature sensor 516 for detecting the temperature of the mold 312 required for ice making, the ejector sensor 518 for detecting the rotation state of the ejector 314, and the ice detection lever 317 The ice detection sensor 520 detects whether the ice bank is full by detecting the ice bank. The values detected by each of the sensors 516, 518, and 520 are converted into signals of a form recognizable by the second microcomputer 508 by the sensor signal converter 522 provided on the ice making printed circuit board 319a. And is provided to the second microcomputer 508. The second microcomputer 508 controls the ice making process of the ice maker 310a with reference to these sensor values.

6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main printed circuit board and a deicing printed circuit board according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the ice maker 310b is provided with only the heater 624, the water supply valve 420b, the eject motor 315b, and the sensors 616, 618, and 620, and the printed circuit board is not provided. Instead, components such as a power supply unit 602, a heater driver 610, a valve driver 612, an eject motor driver 614, and a sensor signal converter 622 require a printed circuit board, such as a main printed circuit board 421b. To accommodate this. In addition, the third microcomputer 604 provided on the main printed circuit board 421b controls the refrigerator's own load (compressor, fan, etc.) 606 as well as the ice maker 310b. That is, the third microcomputer 604 of the main printed circuit board 421b controls the heater driving unit 610, the valve driving unit 612, and the ejector motor driving unit 614, respectively, so that the heater 624, the water supply valve 420b, The ejector motor 315b and the like are driven and controlled. In addition, the third microcomputer 604 of the main printed circuit board 421b may include a temperature sensor 516 for detecting a temperature of the mold 312 and an ejector sensor 518 for detecting a rotation state of the ejector 314. The sensor signal converting unit 622 is provided on the main printed circuit board 421b to detect the rotational position of the ice detection lever 317 and detects whether the ice bank is full. The ice maker 310b controls the ice making process with reference to the sensor values. Therefore, since the printed circuit board does not need to be installed in the ice maker 310b, the ice maker capacity can be increased by further securing the mold 312.

As with embodiments of the present invention, sharing or accommodating some components between two different printed circuit boards is not only the main printed circuit board and the deicing printed circuit board, but also the printed circuits of other independent components provided in the refrigerator. It is preferable to apply also to a board | substrate. For example, it is desirable to share or accommodate some components even between the main printed circuit board and the printed circuit board of the display unit.

In the refrigerator according to the present invention, a deicing printed circuit board provided in an ice maker shares some components of the main printed circuit board, or the main printed circuit board receives some components of the deicing printed circuit board. The circuit board may be removed from the ice maker or the size thereof may be reduced, thereby increasing the utilization of the mold part (icemaking region) of the ice maker.

In this way, when the main printed circuit board accommodates some components of the deicing printed circuit board, the microcomputer of the main printed circuit board controls the ice maker, thereby simplifying the structure of the ice maker and reducing its manufacturing cost.

In addition, the refrigerator according to the present invention minimizes the power consumed by the ice maker through a structure in which the main printed circuit board and the deicing printed circuit board share a single power supply unit, thereby eventually minimizing the overall power consumption of the refrigerator. Can be.

Claims (13)

A heater for dissolving ice decanted from a mold for a predetermined time to be discharged to the outside, a motor for rotating the ejector for discharging ice from the mold to the outside at a predetermined angle, an ejector sensor for sensing a rotational position of the ejector; An ice maker comprising a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the mold part and a full ice detection sensor for detecting a rotational position of the full ice detection lever; A main printed circuit board for powering the cooling chamber; And the main printed circuit board supplies power to the ice maker. The method of claim 1, The ice maker further comprises a printed circuit board for ice making; The deicing printed circuit board receives power from the main printed circuit board, and receives a signal from the ejector sensor, the temperature sensor, and the ice detection sensor to control the heater and the motor. The method of claim 1, And the main printed circuit board controls at least one of the heater and the motor of the ice maker. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And the heater, the motor, the ejector sensor, the temperature sensor, and the ice detection sensor of the ice maker are connected to the main printed circuit board by wiring. The method of claim 1, wherein the main printed circuit board, And a microcomputer in which a program for delaying, interlocking, and changing the operation of the ice maker is stored according to a condition table input as operation and control information of the refrigerator. An ice maker in which an automatic ice making operation is performed to freeze water supplied to produce ice; A first printed circuit board having a power supply and controlling cooling of the cooling chamber; A refrigerator in which the ice maker and the first printed circuit board share the power supply unit. The method of claim 6, wherein the ice maker, And a sensor for detecting information necessary for the automatic ice making operation. The method of claim 6, The first printed circuit board further comprises a first microcomputer for controlling a cooling operation of the cooling chamber. The method of claim 8, wherein the first printed circuit board, A driving unit for driving the ice maker further; And the first microcomputer drives the driving unit to control automatic ice making operation of the ice maker. The method of claim 8, And the first microcomputer receives information necessary for the automatic ice making operation from the sensors installed in the ice maker and controls the automatic ice making operation of the ice maker. In the ice maker of the refrigerator having a power supply and having a first printed circuit board for controlling the cooling of the cooling chamber, The ice maker which receives an electric power from the said power supply part provided in the said 1st printed circuit board, and performs automatic ice-making operation. The method of claim 11, Ice maker further comprises a sensor for detecting the information required for the automatic ice making operation. The method of claim 11, wherein the first printed circuit board, A driving unit for driving the ice maker further; The ice maker of the automatic ice making operation is controlled by driving the drive unit by the first micom.

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