KR20240070800A - Ice maker and refrigerator including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a control box including a case with an external appearance and a receiving space formed inside, and an ice tray included on one side of the control box and twisted by receiving rotational power, and the control box is provided with a rotational power applied to the ice tray. A drive unit providing a drive unit, a gear unit interlocked with the drive unit, and a cam gear including a plurality of cam profile files interlocked with the gear unit and provided concentrically on one surface, wherein the plurality of cam profile files are connected to the cam gear. An ice maker and a refrigerator including the same are provided, including a first camp profile that is concentrically provided and a second camp profile that is included inside a turning radius of the first camp file.

Description

Ice maker and refrigerator including same {ICE MAKER AND REFRIGERATOR INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an ice maker and a refrigerator including the same.

In general, refrigerators use a cooling cycle to cool the air inside the refrigerator, thereby refrigerating or freezing the food stored inside to store it for a long time without deterioration. Such a refrigerator consists of a main body that forms a storage space separated into a refrigerator and freezer compartment, and a door mounted on one side of the main body to open and close the refrigerator and freezer compartments. The main body has a refrigeration cycle consisting of a compressor, condenser, and evaporator. Mechanical equipment is provided. Also, an ice maker that makes ice is installed in the freezer.

An ice maker for a refrigerator includes an ice-making tray with a plurality of ice-making grooves for automatically receiving water and making ice of a certain size, an ice bank provided at the bottom of the ice-making tray to store ice moved by a moving motor, and the ice bank. It includes a driving part that is mounted on one side and drives the ice to transport it.

Here, there may be two methods for moving the ice made in the ice-making tray. The ice-making tray itself is twisted using the above-described moving motor to separate the ice-made ice from the ice-making groove, and then the ice below it is separated. The twist type is used to drop the ice into a bank, and the ice is made by applying a certain amount of ice heat using an ice heater to an ice tray made of metal, separating the ice from the ice making groove and rotating a separate ice ejector. This is the type of heater that is pushed to one side of the tray and dropped into the ice bank at the bottom.

The method of twisting ice in an ice tray using a moving motor requires a rotation of more than an appropriate angle to move the ice.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1645356 (2016.08. 12)

One embodiment of the present invention provides an ice maker with an improved radius of rotation of the cam gear of the driving unit that detects whether the ice accumulated in the storage unit is full or not, and controls the ice to be moved by twisting during operation of the driving unit of the ice maker. The purpose.

One embodiment of the present invention is a refrigerator including an ice maker with an improved rotation radius of the cam gear of the driving unit that controls the transfer of ice through twisting during operation of the driving unit of the ice maker and detects whether the ice accumulated in the storage unit is full. The purpose is to provide

An ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention,

A control box including a case that forms an exterior and has a receiving space inside; And an ice tray included on one side of the control box, connected to the drive unit, and twisted by receiving rotational power,

The control box includes a driving unit that provides rotational power to the ice tray; A gear unit interlocked with the driving unit; And a cam gear interlocked with the gear unit and including a plurality of cam profiles provided concentrically on one surface,

The plurality of cam profile files include: a first cam profile provided concentrically with the cam gear; And it may include; a second campfire included inside the turning radius of the first campfire.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cam gear may be included with a turning radius that is larger than the turning radius of the first cam profile file than the turning radius of the second cam profile file.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of camphor files may be formed in a protrusion or groove shape.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the second camp profile may be linked with an ice detection lever that detects the amount of ice stored in the ice bank.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an interlocking lever that organically interlocks along the first camp profile may be included.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the interlocking lever may include a magnet.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the driving motor may be a stepping motor.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the gear unit includes a worm gear that is shaft-coupled to the rotation axis of the drive unit and rotates; a worm wheel gear engaged with the worm gear and rotated; and an output gear engaged and rotated with the worm wheel gear and shaft-coupled with the rotation axis of the interlocking lever.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the ice tray may be formed of an elastic resin material.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a cabinet that forms the exterior of a refrigerator and forms a receiving space; a door included to open and close the receiving space of the cabinet; And an ice maker disposed inside the cabinet,

The ice maker includes a control box including a case that has an exterior appearance and a receiving space therein; And an ice tray connected to the driving unit and twisted by receiving rotational power,

The control box includes a drive motor that provides rotational power to the ice tray; A gear unit interlocked with the driving unit; And a cam gear interlocked with the gear unit and including a plurality of cam profiles provided concentrically on one surface,

The plurality of cam profile files include: a first cam profile provided concentrically with the cam gear; And it is possible to provide a refrigerator including; a second campfire included inside the rotation radius of the first campfire.

One embodiment of the present invention can provide an ice maker with an improved rotation angle of the cam gear of the driving unit that detects whether the ice accumulated in the storage unit is full or not, as well as controlling the transfer of ice through twisting during the operation of the driving unit of the ice maker. there is.

One embodiment of the present invention is a refrigerator including an ice maker with an improved rotation angle of the cam gear of the driving part that performs an operation of detecting whether the ice accumulated in the storage unit is full or not while controlling the transfer of ice through twisting during the operation of the driving part of the ice maker. can be provided.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the cam profile of a conventional cam gear,
Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of a refrigerator equipped with an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of an ice tray showing the twist of the ice tray according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a cam gear according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a front view showing a control box equipped with a cam gear according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an ice maker and a refrigerator including the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, in describing embodiments of the present invention, if detailed descriptions of related known configurations or functions are judged to impede understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, the detailed descriptions will be omitted.

In describing the components of the embodiment of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, order, or order of the component is not limited by the term. Additionally, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless clearly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an idealized or excessively formal sense. No.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the cam profile of a conventional cam gear, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the interior of a refrigerator equipped with an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an ice tray showing the twist of the ice tray according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a cam gear according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a front view showing a control box equipped with a cam gear according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6 , a refrigerator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an ice maker 10.

The refrigerator 1 may include a cabinet (not shown) forming a storage compartment with an open front, and at least one door 8 or 9 that opens and closes the open front of the storage compartment.

The storage compartment may include at least one of a refrigerator compartment for storing food in a refrigerated state and a freezer compartment for storing food in a frozen state. The refrigerator 1 of this embodiment is illustrated as including both the refrigerating compartment and the freezing compartment, and the refrigerating compartment may be provided above the freezing compartment.

The doors 8 and 9 may include a refrigerator compartment door 8 that opens and closes the refrigerator compartment, and a freezer compartment door 9 that opens and closes the freezer compartment. There are two refrigerator compartment doors (8) arranged to the left and right of each other. The left refrigerator compartment door (8) can open and close the left side, which is part of the refrigerator compartment, and the right refrigerator compartment door (8) can open and close the right side, which is the remaining portion of the refrigerator compartment. You can.

The ice maker 10 may be installed in at least one of a refrigerator compartment and a freezer compartment, and the ice maker 10 of this embodiment may be placed in a space having the freezing temperature of the refrigerator. The ice maker may include a control box 100 and an ice tray 200.

The ice maker 10 can receive ice-making water from the refrigerator 1, and can produce the ice by turning the ice-making water into ice with cold air supplied to the storage compartment from the refrigeration cycle of the refrigerator 1. .

The ice maker 10 according to this embodiment may include a heater type and a twist type depending on the type of ice used to separate the ice.

Here, among the ice makers according to an embodiment of the present invention, the twist type ice maker is equipped with a control box 100 in which electrical components and driving components are built, and one side of the control box 100, as shown in FIG. 2. and may include an ice tray 200 with a plurality of ice-making grooves 210 formed on the upper side.

Heater-type ice makers and twist-type ice makers can be distinguished by the presence or absence of a moving heater (not shown) and whether the ice tray 200 rotates to be twisted. In particular, the position of the drive motor disposed inside the drive box and the design of the gear unit may be different depending on whether the drive box is a heater type or a twist type.

In the case of the heater type ice maker 10, when ice making is completed in the ice making groove 210 of the ice tray 200, the ice is transferred by the moving heater which applies a predetermined heat to the ice tray 200. The ejector rod provided with a plurality of ejector pins is rotated by the interlocking operation of the drive motor and the gear unit provided inside the control box 100, and the plurality of ejector pins are rotated to transfer the moved ice to the ice bank ( (not shown) is driven to save.

In addition, in the case of a twist-type ice maker, when ice making of ice water is completed in the ice making groove 210 of the ice tray 200, the drive motor is driven and the gear units are interlocked, and any one of the gear units As the ice tray 200, which is directly connected to the gear shaft, is rotated in one direction, one end is twisted in an interference motion, and by this twisting operation, the ice made in the ice making groove 210 is moved and at the same time the ice bank below it is moved. The ice falls and is stored.

The control box 100 of the ice maker 10 according to the present invention is disposed inside the case portion 110 and includes a drive motor 350 that provides driving force for twisting the ice tray 200, and the drive motor A gear unit 300 interlocked with (350), an interlocking lever 350 interlocked with the gear unit 300 and equipped with a magnet (M, magnet) on one side, and a center formed in the case unit 210. It is configured to include a cam gear 400 coupled to the fastening portion 211.

The inside of this control box 100 includes a printed circuit board on which a microcomputer (not shown) and various electrical components for driving it are mounted as a practical control unit, an electrically driven drive motor 120, and the drive motor 120. It may include an interlocking gear unit 300 and an interlocking lever 350 provided to interlock with the gear unit 300. This will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

The ice tray 200 may include an accommodating portion that holds ice-making water therein, and the accommodating portion may be divided into a plurality of spaces by forming a plurality of partition walls. The ice making tray may be formed of a resin material, and may be twisted by rotation and then returned to its original shape.

The control box 100 may be included on one side of the ice maker 10 and may include a case portion 110 of a rectangular parallelepiped having a predetermined space inside with one side open. The inside of the case part 110 of the control box 100 may include a driving part 120, a gear part 300, and an interlocking lever 350. The control box 100 may have a structure in which a pair of upper cases (not shown) and a lower case (not shown) are fastened to each other. The control box 100 may be connected to the ice tray 200, and the ice tray 200 may twist according to the operation of the driving unit 120.

The driving unit 120 is electrically driven and may be provided with a rotation axis (not shown) disposed laterally inside the control box 100. A gear unit 300 may be provided on the rotation axis of the drive motor 220. The driving unit 120 may include a driving motor 120, and the driving motor 120 may include a stepping motor capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions. Since the stepping motor rotates at a certain angle each time a pulse signal is applied, the number of input pulse signals and the rotation angle of the motor are proportional. Therefore, the rotation angle of the motor can be accurately controlled by controlling the input pulse.

The stepping motor, which is the driving motor 120, may be capable of both forward and reverse rotation. Therefore, it is possible to twist the ice tray 300 and return it to its original position using only the drive motor. However, it is not limited to this, and twisting the ice tray 200 is done by the drive motor 120, and returning the ice tray 200 to its original position is done by an elastic member (not shown) mounted on one side of the ice tray 200. ) may also be due to

The driving motor 120 may be a stepping motor. Furthermore, it can be both a stepping motor and a geared motor. A plurality of gears are provided on the side where the motor shaft 121 extends from the drive motor 120, and the speed ratio can be adjusted to increase or decrease the rotation speed of the drive motor 120. Of course, since rotation speed and torque may be inversely proportional, a person skilled in the art can determine the gear ratio of a geared motor by considering rotation speed and torque.

When a brush motor is used as a motor, the lifespan of the brush made of carbon is limited, and the area around the motor is polluted by carbon powder generated from the carbon brush. Additionally, the noise and vibration generated from the brush motor may be large, and the current consumed during operation of the brush motor may be high. In addition, the temperature generated by the brush motor may increase significantly, resulting in large energy consumption. In contrast, a stepping motor consumes less current during operation and produces less noise and vibration during operation. In addition, the heat generated during operation of the stepping motor is low, so energy efficiency is high. Additionally, since there is no carbon brush, there is no contamination caused by carbon powder, and the lifespan is semi-permanent.

The gear unit 300 may operate by rotational force generated by the drive unit 120. It may include a connection part provided on one side of the ice tray 200 and a drive motor 120 linked to the connection part. Specifically, the connection part may have gear teeth formed on the surface connected to the drive motor and be interlocked by engaging the gear teeth. The gear teeth may be formed in plural numbers and may be formed in a circumferential direction with different radii around the rotation axis of the connection part. The driving unit 120 may be interlocked with the ice tray 200 by the gear unit 300, and the ice tray 200 may be twisted by the rotational force generated by the driving unit 120.

The gear unit 300 includes a worm gear 310 whose central axis is coupled to the rotation axis of the drive motor 220 to form worm gear teeth that rotate, and a worm wheel gear 320 whose worm wheel gear teeth are engaged and rotated by the worm gear 310. ), an output gear 330 formed with output gear teeth that engage and rotate with the worm wheel gear 320, and a shaft gear 340 and a shaft gear 340 formed with shaft gear teeth that engage and rotate concentrically with the output gear 330. It may include an interlocking lever 350 that is concentric with and operates interlocked in a shaft-coupled state. Here, the output gear 330 and the shaft gear 340 may be formed as one piece.

The interlocking lever 350 may be formed in a “V” shape extending to a predetermined length based on the center engaged with the shaft gear 340. A drive shaft 130 that rotates in conjunction with the interlocking lever 350 so that ice is moved from the ice making groove 210 of the ice maker may be connected to the ice maker.

A magnet (M) may be formed at one end of the interlocking lever 350 to operate a non-contact switch (not shown) by non-contact external magnetic force, etc. That is, when the external magnetic force is supplied, the magnet M of the interlocking lever 350 approaches the non-contact switch area as an attractive force is applied, thereby causing the non-contact switch to operate. In some cases, the magnet M may be formed at one end of the interlocking lever 350, and may be exposed or embedded.

At this time, the non-contact switch may have a structure in which the upper case and the lower case are fixed through mutual coupling. In some cases, the control box 100 may be formed as an integrated piece. That is, the control box 100 may be configured to fundamentally block penetration of foreign substances such as moisture or dust from the outside by forming the control box 100 as an integrated unit rather than combining a pair of upper and lower cases.

Therefore, by removing the separate through hole for installing a separate test switch in the control box 100 during the test run for testing the ice maker as well as during use, it is possible to fundamentally prevent the infiltration of dust or moisture from the outside. there is.

The cam gear 400 can transmit the rotational force of the drive motor 220 to the ice tray 200 to rotate it. This cam gear 400 can be inserted and fixed to the rotation center axis 211 of the case portion 210 through a fixing unit 500. Accordingly, the cam gear 400 can be rotated while being stably fixed to the fixing unit 500 without any play.

The driving force generated by the driving unit 120 may be transmitted to the cam gear 400 by the gear unit 300. The driving force is transmitted to the cam gear 400 by the gear unit 300, and the ice tray 200 is twisted by the rotation of the cam gear 400, thereby moving the ice. Gear teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cam gear 400 and on the surface connected to the gear unit 300, and can be interlocked by meshing the gear teeth. The ice tray 300 can be twisted by receiving the rotational force generated from the driving unit 120 by the worm gear 310 engaged with the gear teeth to separate the ice.

In order for the ice tray 200 to be twisted, one side of the ice tray 200 may be rotated by a predetermined rotation distance and then stop, and the other side of the ice tray 200 may be rotated further than the predetermined rotation distance. In this way, the rotation distances at which both sides of the ice tray 200 rotate are different from each other, so the ice tray 200 may be twisted. In one embodiment, one side of the ice tray 200 connected to the drive motor 120 may be moved, and the other side may be stopped due to restricted movement. That is, the rotational power transmitted to the one side by the drive motor 120 may be applied to the one side to twist the ice tray 200, and as the ice tray 200 is twisted, the moved ice will move in the direction of its own weight. You can. After the ice has moved, it can return to the starting point.

One surface of the cam gear 400 may include a plurality of cam profiles provided concentrically. Camphor piles can be formed in a protruding or depressed form.

A plurality of camp profiles are provided concentrically with the camp profiles and include a first camp profile 410 interlocked with an interlocking lever and a trajectory smaller than the trajectory of the first camp profile 410 to form the first camp. It may include a second camp file 420 included inside the lo-file 410 trajectory.

The trajectory of the first camp profile 410 may be formed to be larger than the trajectory of the second camp profile 420. The second camp profile 420 is included inside the trajectory of the first camp profile file 410, so that the trajectory of the second camp profile file 420 may be formed to be smaller than the trajectory of the first camp profile file 410. . The second camp file 420 is located inside the first camp file 410 and is formed to be smaller than the rotation trajectory of the first camp file 410, so that the rotation radius of the first camp file 420 is compared to the conventional one. It can be formed larger than the cam profile 41 of the cam gear 40. The rotation radius of the first camp file 410 is formed to be large, so that the movement trajectory of the magnet (M) included in the interlocking lever 350 linked to the first camp file 410 is formed to be large, so that the ice tray 200 It can be twisted at a larger angle than a conventional cam gear, and the ice made in the ice tray 200 can be easily moved by twisting.

The interlocking lever 350 may be organically interlocked with the first camp profile 410. The cam gear 400 rotates to lower the interlocking lever 350 linked to the first cam profile and includes a position detection sensor formed to make electrical contact according to the movement trajectory of the magnet (M) and the magnet (M). A dual ice or full ice signal can be output by disconnecting the contact point with the detected sensor.

The second camp file 410 may be linked to the detection lever. The detection lever is linked to the second camp file 420, so that the ice stored in the ice bank can be detected by the detection lever to control the operation of the driving unit 120. By detecting the ice stored in the ice bank, the operation of the driving unit 120 can be controlled according to the amount of ice stored in the ice bank.

As the first cam profile 410 is formed to be larger than the rotation trajectory of the first cam profile 41 of the conventional cam gear 40, the rotation angle of the cam gear 400 can be rotated significantly, and accordingly, The twisting angle of the ice tray 300 is formed to be large, making it easy to move.

The embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is natural that various modifications and equivalent implementations can be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true scope of rights of the present invention will be determined by the claims described later.

1: refrigerator
8,9: Door
10: Ice maker
100: Control box
110: Case part
120: Drive unit, drive motor
130: drive shaft
200: Ice tray
210: Ice making home
300: gear unit
310: Worm gear
320: Worm wheel gear
330: Output gear
340: shaft gear
350: Interlocking lever
400: Cam gear
410: 1st Camp Profile
420: Second Camp Profile
M: Magnet

Claims (11)

A control box including a case that forms an exterior and has a receiving space inside; and
Includes an ice tray included on one side of the control box and twisted by receiving rotational power,
The control box is,
A driving unit that provides rotational power to the ice tray;
A gear unit interlocked with the driving unit; and
A cam gear interlocked with the gear unit and including a plurality of cam profiles provided concentrically on one surface,
The plurality of camp profiles is,
A first camp file provided concentrically with the cam gear; and
An ice maker comprising; a second campfire included inside the turning radius of the first campfire.
According to claim 1,
The cam gear is,
An ice maker, wherein the turning radius of the first cam profile is included as a larger turning radius than the turning radius of the second cam profile.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker, wherein the plurality of camphor files are formed in a protruding or grooved shape.
According to claim 1,
The second camp profile is,
An ice maker that is linked to an ice detection lever that detects the amount of ice stored in an ice bank in which ice is stored.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker comprising an interlocking lever that is organically interlocked along the first camp file and includes a magnet at one end.
According to claim 5,
The control box is,
An ice maker comprising; a detection unit including a position detection sensor so that electrical contact is made according to the movement trajectory of the magnet.
According to claim 1,
The gear part,
A worm gear that is shaft-coupled to the rotation shaft of the drive motor and rotates;
a worm wheel gear engaged with the worm gear and rotated; and
An output gear engaged with and rotating with the worm wheel gear and shaft-coupled with the rotation axis of the interlocking lever.
In claim 1,
The ice tray is,
An ice maker formed of an elastic resin material.
According to claim 1,
The driving motor is,
Ice maker, which is a stepping motor.
According to claim 1,
An ice maker in which a test switch is formed in the case to determine whether it is operating normally.
A cabinet that forms the exterior of the refrigerator and an accommodation space;
a door included to open and close the receiving space of the cabinet; and
It includes an ice maker disposed inside the cabinet,
The ice maker,
A control box including a case that forms an exterior and has a receiving space inside; and
Includes an ice tray that is twisted by receiving rotational power,
The control box is,
A driving unit located inside the case and providing rotational power to the ice tray;
A gear unit interlocked with the driving unit; and
A cam gear interlocked with the gear unit and including a plurality of cam profiles provided concentrically on one surface,
The plurality of camp profiles is,
A first camp file provided concentrically with the cam gear; and
A refrigerator comprising; a second campfire included inside the rotation radius of the first campfire.