TWI622744B - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

In the refrigerator having the control unit, the control unit acquires the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit, and controls the driving of the water injection pump. The control unit obtains the water injection stop threshold value by using the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit before the water injection and the water injection amount supplied to the ice tray, and drives the water injection pump. The control unit stops driving the water injection pump when the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit reaches the water injection stop threshold.

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an automatic ice making function.

A refrigerator having an automatic ice making function has been provided with a storage water tank for storing water for supplying an ice tray. Further, in order to perform the function of automatic ice making, the refrigerator further includes a water injection pump that draws water from the water injection tank and a motor that drives the water injection pump. That is, when the automatic ice making is performed, the refrigerator uses the power of the water pump and the motor to send water from the water tank to the ice making tray.

In general, when the driving time of the water injection pump is constant, when the amount of water in the water tank is reduced, the amount of water supplied to the ice tray is also reduced. Therefore, in the conventional refrigerator, there is provided means for changing the driving time of the water injection pump in accordance with the number of water injections so that the amount of water supplied to the ice making tray is stabilized. Further, there is also known a refrigerator which adjusts the driving time of the water injection pump by adjusting the amount of residual water in the water tank to control the amount of water supplied to the ice making tray (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The refrigerator of Patent Document 1 is configured to detect the water level of the water injection tank using an optical water level sensor, and determine the water injection time based on the detected water level.

Further, among the conventional refrigerators, there is also a refrigerator in which a weight sensor is provided on the bottom surface of the water tank to detect the weight of the water tank itself and the weight of water in the water tank (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The refrigerator of Patent Document 2 is configured such that when the detected value of the weight sensor is larger than a specific value, it is determined that there is a water in the water tank Water, when the detected value is below a certain value, it is judged that there is no water in the water tank.

Advanced technical literature

Patent literature:

Patent Document 1: JP-A-2013-190116

Patent Document 2: JP-A-2007-85566

However, in the case of changing the driving time of the water injection pump in accordance with the number of water injections, it is premised on the water filled in the water tank. When this premise is not established, the amount of water supplied to the ice tray may vary, and the ice cubes are made. The size and number will be unstable. Further, as in Patent Document 1, when the water level of the water injection tank is adjusted to adjust the driving time of the water injection pump, even if the water level is the same, the diameter of the water injection path varies depending on the diameter of the water injection path, and the output and resistance of the motor. The problem of the deviation is caused by the instability of the water injection amount of each product. Furthermore, the refrigerator of Patent Document 2 uses only the detected value of the weight sensor to determine whether or not the ice making operation is to be performed, and it is still a problem that the size and number of the generated ice pieces will follow the inside of the water tank. The state of the water changes.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems as described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator which can stabilize the amount of water supplied to the ice tray without changing the amount of water in the water tank, thereby preventing the size and number of ice cubes produced. deviation.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises: a water tank provided in a refrigerating temperature zone; an ice making tray capable of making ice cubes; water in the water tank is supplied to the water injection pump of the ice making tray; and the weight of the water tank is detected Value checkout; control The system obtains the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit and controls the driving of the water injection pump. The control unit obtains a water injection stop threshold value by using the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit before water injection and the water injection amount supplied to the ice making tray, and drives the water injection pump to obtain the water detecting unit. When the detected value reaches the water injection stop threshold, the drive of the water injection pump is stopped.

In the present invention, after the control unit drives the water injection pump, when the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit reaches the water injection stop threshold value, the water pump is stopped and driven, so that the amount of water supplied to the ice tray can be maintained. At a certain amount, the amount of water supplied to the ice tray is stabilized without being changed by the amount of water in the water tank, and thus the variation in the size and number of the ice cubes produced can be prevented.

10‧‧‧Sink

10a‧‧‧heater

11‧‧‧First protrusion

12‧‧‧second protrusion

12a‧‧‧ bottom

13‧‧‧Sink tube

14‧‧‧Water inlet

20‧‧‧Control substrate

21‧‧‧Control Department

22‧‧‧Memory Department

30‧‧‧Wire

40‧‧‧Automatic ice making device

50‧‧‧Water injection pump

51‧‧‧Water injection pipe

60‧‧‧ Weight Detection Department

61‧‧‧ load weight

62‧‧‧Sink detection department

63‧‧‧ Door opening and closing inspection department

70‧‧‧ ice tray

71‧‧‧Ice made gearbox

72‧‧‧ ice storage detection lever

80, 180‧‧‧ bottom of the sink

80a, 180a‧‧‧ bottom

90‧‧‧Operator panel

91‧‧‧Operation Department

92‧‧

100‧‧‧ refrigerator

101‧‧‧Refrigerator

102‧‧‧ ice making room

103‧‧‧Switching room

104‧‧‧Freezer

105‧‧‧Vegetable Room

106‧‧‧Ice box

111‧‧‧ refrigerated door

112‧‧‧Ice door

114‧‧‧Frozen door

115‧‧‧ Fruit and Vegetable Doors

181‧‧‧ bottom independent components

182‧‧‧Sensor holder

183‧‧‧ Cover

L‧‧‧Sink width

La‧‧‧ Distance between protrusions

M ₃ ‧‧‧Ice water possible

△Ω‧‧‧resistance change value

Ω‧‧‧ resistance

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing a state in which a door piece of each chamber is removed in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing a state in which the door of each of the refrigerators of the first embodiment of the present invention is closed.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a side of a water injection tank in a side cross section of the refrigerator of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an automatic ice making device provided in the refrigerator of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the water in the water injection tank by using the weight detecting portion of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of the amount of water in the water injection tank.

Fig. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of water in the water tank and the resistance of the weight detecting portion.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of water in the water tank and the output current value of the weight detecting portion.

Fig. 10 is a view showing an example of a water amount conversion table in which the amount of water in the water tank and the resistance value of the weight detecting portion are associated with each other.

Fig. 11 is a view showing an example of a size change table in which the ice block size and the resistance variation value ΔΩ are associated.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing the water amount of the notification portion in Fig. 2 when the amount of water in the water injection tank is sufficient.

Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing the water amount of the notification portion in Fig. 2 when the amount of water in the water injection tank is insufficient.

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the amount of water in the notification unit in Fig. 2 is determined when the control unit determines that it is in an abnormal state.

Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the operation of the refrigerator in the first embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a view showing an example of a variation value conversion table in which the resistance value and the resistance variation value are associated with each other.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of water supplied to the ice tray and the amount of water in the water tank when the driving time of the water injection pump is fixed in the conventional configuration.

Fig. 18 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of water supplied to the ice tray and the number of ice making when the driving time of the water injection pump is fixed in the conventional configuration.

Fig. 19 is a schematic view showing a state of water supply to the ice tray when the amount of water in the water tank is large in the conventional configuration.

Figure 20 is a view showing a conventional configuration in which the amount of water in the water tank is small. A pattern diagram of the water injection state provided to the ice tray.

Fig. 21 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the components around the weight detecting portion of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment 1

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing a state in which a door piece of each chamber is removed in the refrigerator according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view showing a state in which the door of each of the refrigerators of the first embodiment of the present invention is closed. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a side of a water injection tank in a side cross section of the refrigerator of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an automatic ice making device provided in the refrigerator of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of the water in the water injection tank by using the weight detecting portion of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a control block diagram of the refrigerator of Fig. 2. The overall configuration of the refrigerator in the first embodiment will be described based on the first to sixth figures.

As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 has a refrigerating compartment 101, an ice making compartment 102, a switching compartment 103, a freezing compartment 104, and a vegetable and fruit compartment 105. Further, the refrigerator 100 is provided with a water injection tank 10 on the bottom surface of the refrigerating compartment 101. That is, the water spout 10 is disposed inside the refrigerating compartment 101 in the refrigerating temperature zone so that the water portion stored therein is frozen.

As shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerator 100 is provided with a refrigerating door piece 111 for opening and closing the refrigerating compartment 101, an ice making door piece 112 for opening and closing the ice making compartment 102, and a freezing door piece for opening and closing the freezing compartment 104. 114. A vegetable and fruit door piece 115 for opening and closing the vegetable and fruit room 105.

In addition, the refrigerator 100 has an operation panel portion 90. The operation panel unit 90 is configured to include an operation unit 91 having a plurality of operation buttons for receiving temperature adjustment of each chamber and related input operations of various settings, and outputting temperature of each chamber The notification unit 92 of the information such as the information. The operation unit 91 is a device that receives, for example, a mode setting input by the user. The plurality of operation buttons of the operation unit 91 are, for example, a water injection amount change button for changing the setting of the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70, and a correction button for correcting the weight detection unit 60. Further, the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 is the amount of water supplied to the ice tray 70 in a single pass, and is hereinafter referred to simply as "water injection amount Q". In the second drawing, the case where the operation panel unit 90 is provided on the refrigerating door piece 111 is shown as an example. In addition, in the sixth drawing, the notification unit 92 is constituted by, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and indicates various kinds of information.

As shown in FIG. 3, an ice pack 106 is disposed in the ice making compartment 102 of the refrigerator 100. In addition, the refrigerator 100 has a control substrate 20 that controls the entirety of the refrigerator 100 and has an electric wire 30 connected to the control substrate 20.

As shown in Fig. 4, the refrigerator 100 has an automatic ice making device 40 that uses water in the water injection tank 10 to perform automatic ice making. The automatic ice making device 40 includes a water injection tank 10, a water tank pipe 13, a water injection port 14, a water injection pump 50, a water injection pipe 51, a pressure sensing type weight detecting portion 60, an ice making tray 70, an ice making gear box 71, and a storage tank. The ice detects the lever 72 and the bottom 80 of the sink. Further, the symbol Ws indicates the water surface of the water stored in the water tank 10.

The sink pipe 13 and the water injection pump 50 are joined. The opening of one of the water injection ports 14 is joined to the water tank pipe 13, and the other opening is joined to the water injection pipe 51. The water tank pipe 13 and the water injection port 14 are provided inside the water injection tank 10. The water injection pump 50 extracts the water in the water injection tank 10 and transfers the extracted water to the water injection port 14 through the water tank pipe 13. The water transferred to the water injection port 14 is supplied to the ice making tray 70 through the water injection pipe 51 joined to the water injection port 14. The water injection amount Q supplied to the ice making tray 70 changes in accordance with the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 and the water amount M in the water injection tank 10. Further, after that, the amount M of water in the water injection tank 10 is simply referred to as "water amount M".

The weight detecting portion 60 is provided to maintain the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice making tray 70 constant without changing with the amount M of water in the water injection tank 10. The weight detecting portion 60 is disposed on the bottom surface 80a directly below the water injection tank 10. The weight detecting portion 60 is connected to the electric wire 30. That is, the weight detecting portion 60 is connected to the control board 20 via the electric wire 30.

The ice making gear box 71 is a device that twists the ice making tray 70 so that the ice made in the ice making tray 70 falls into the ice making chamber 102. The ice storage detecting lever 72 is a device for detecting whether or not the amount of ice stored in the ice making chamber 102 has reached a predetermined amount. The ice storage detecting lever 72 is suspended to the ice box 106 of the ice making chamber 102. The refrigerator 100 is configured such that when the ice storage detecting lever 72 and the ice in the ice box 106 are in contact with each other and cannot be lowered below a specific position, the ice making gear box 71 is no longer subjected to the ice removing operation. Thereby, the refrigerator 100 prevents the ice of the ice making compartment 102 from being full.

The bottom 80 of the sink is formed to include a heat insulating material and is disposed between the water injection tank 10 and the ice making tray 70. The bottom 80 of the sink is used to separate the refrigerating compartment 101 in the refrigerated temperature zone and the ice making compartment 102 in the freezing temperature zone. Further, the bottom surface 80a of the bottom portion 80 of the water tank is formed of a resin or the like.

On the bottom surface of the water injection tank 10, a first protrusion portion 11 and a second protrusion portion 12 that support the water injection tank 10 are provided. The first protrusions 11 and the second protrusions 12 are formed so as to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the water injection tank 10. The first protrusion portion 11 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion on the front side of the water injection tank 10, and the second protrusion portion 12 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion on the rear side of the water injection tank 10.

A weight detecting portion 60 for detecting the value corresponding to the weight of the water inlet 10 is provided on the bottom surface 80a directly below the second projection 12. Compared to water injection The entire bottom surface of the groove 10 and the bottom surface 12a of the second projection 12 are extremely small, and therefore, the second projection 12 is in a state of being in point contact with the weight detecting portion 60. In other words, the automatic ice making device 40 is configured such that the bottom surface 12a of the second protrusion portion 12 abuts against the weight detecting portion 60, so that the pressure applied to the weight detecting portion 60 by the water tank 10 can be increased. Therefore, the detection sensitivity of the weight detecting unit 60 to the fluctuation of the amount of water M in the water inlet 10 can be improved.

Here, the arrangement relationship between the first protrusion portion 11 and the second protrusion portion 12 and the detection accuracy of the weight detecting portion 60 will be described based on Fig. 5, wherein the width of the water injection tank 10 in the front-rear direction is the width L of the water tank. The distance from the inner surface of the first protrusion 11 to the inner surface of the second protrusion 12 is the inter-protrusion distance La.

The first protrusion portion 11 and the second protrusion portion 12 are disposed such that the inter-protrusion distance La is as small as possible, and as the rotational moment around the first protrusion portion 11, the moment acting on the second protrusion portion 12 becomes large, so The sensitivity of the weight detecting portion 60 can be improved.

Specifically, for example, the first protrusion 11 is provided at the front edge of the water injection tank 10, and the second protrusion 12 is provided at a distance La from the protrusion, and the rotation system acting around the first protrusion 11 is composed of The second protrusion 12 and the center of gravity of the water injection tank 10 are in a balanced relationship. Here, the urging force acting on the weight detecting portion 60 and the reaction force acting on the second protruding portion 12 are the same value, so both are indicated by the symbol "Na". Further, the center of gravity of the water injection tank 10 is located at the center of the water injection tank 10 in the left-right direction. Further, the center of gravity of the water tank 10 receives the weight of the water tank 10 itself and the weight of the water in the water tank 10, but only the amount M of water in the water tank 10 is considered here.

According to the above balanced relationship, acting on the opposite of the second protrusion 12 The relationship between the force Na, the distance between the protrusions La, and the width L of the water tank is "NaLa-ML/2 = 0". In other words, the urging force Na acting on the weight detecting portion 60 is expressed as "Na = ML / (2La)", and it can be understood that the smaller the inter-protrusion distance La is, the force acting on the weight detecting portion 60 is Na. The bigger.

Here, assuming that the amount M of water before the water injection is M ₀ and the amount M of water after the water injection is M ₁ , the difference ΔNa of the force sensor before and after the water injection can be based on “ΔNa=(M ₀ -M ₁ )L /(2La)" is calculated. M _{0 -} M ₁ is a constant value indicating the amount of water injection Q once the water is poured into the ice tray 70. Therefore, the larger the value of L/(2La) (that is, the smaller the distance La between the protrusions), the larger the fluctuation of ΔNa .

As described above, the first projections 11 and the second projections 12 in the first embodiment are provided on the bottom surface of the water injection tank 10, and the inter-protrusion distance La is minimized. Therefore, even if the amount of water M is slightly changed, the weight detecting portion 60 can accurately detect the value corresponding to the weight of the water injection tank 10.

In order to support the water injection tank 10 in a balanced manner, the first protrusions 11 may be configured to have a certain length and straddle the left-right direction of the water injection tank 10. Further, two or more first protrusions 11 may be provided on the bottom surface of the water injection tank 10. For example, when two first protrusions 11 are provided on the bottom surface of the water injection tank 10, one of the first protrusions 11 may be provided at the left end, and the other first protrusion 11 may be provided at the right end.

In addition, in the fourth figure and the fifth figure, the first protrusion portion 11 and the second protrusion portion 12 having an L-shaped cross section are exemplified, but not limited thereto, for example, the first protrusion portion 11 and the second protrusion portion. The portion 12 may be a convex structure that protrudes in the vicinity of the center portion.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the refrigerator 100 has: for preventing the injection The heater 10a in which the water in the water tank 10 is frozen, the water tank detecting portion 62 for detecting whether or not the water tank 10 is installed at the correct position, and the opening and closing of the door panel for detecting the storage chamber in which the water tank 10 is stored are opened and closed. Detection unit 63. In the first embodiment, the door piece of the storage compartment in which the water tank 10 is housed corresponds to the refrigerating door piece 111 of the refrigerating compartment 101.

The weight detecting unit 60 is configured to include a load cell 61 having a function of converting a force applied from the outside into an electric signal. The control board 20 includes a control unit 21 that acquires the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60, controls the driving of the water injection pump 50, and the memory unit 22 that uses the memory control unit 21 for information such as calculation.

The data is transferred between the control unit 21 and the weight detecting unit 60. The control unit 21 calculates the water injection stop threshold value by using the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit 60 before the water injection and the set value corresponding to the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70, and drives the water injection pump 50 to perform the weight check. When the detected value detected by the outlet 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold, the driving of the water injection pump 50 is stopped. Here, in the first embodiment, the set value corresponding to the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 is the water injection amount Q that is injected once into the ice tray 70 in accordance with the setting of the user's ice size.

When the water tank door 111 is closed, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output information indicating that the water tank 10 is incorrectly set, before the fact that the water tank door detecting unit 62 detects that the water tank 10 has been installed. Thereby, it is possible to inform the user that the fact that the water inlet 10 is not provided or the water inlet 10 is incorrectly provided.

Here, the memory unit 22 of the refrigerator 100 stores the initial output value in advance, and is an output value of the weight detecting unit 60 in a state where the water tank 10 has not been filled with water. The initial output value is information indicating the weight of the water tank 10 itself, and the initial output value is subtracted from the output value of the weight detecting unit 60 when the water tank 10 is filled with water, and a value corresponding to the water amount M can be obtained. The initial output value is also used to generate water The amount of M data. That is, the control unit 21 calculates the water amount M based on the initial output value.

Further, when the user operates a plurality of operation buttons of the operation unit 91, the control unit 21 performs control corresponding to the operation content. That is, when a plurality of operation buttons of the operation unit 91 itself are pressed by the user, a signal corresponding to the operation button to be pressed is transmitted to the control unit 21.

For example, when the operation unit 91 receives the input operation of the water injection amount change button, the control unit 21 controls the driving of the water injection pump 50 in response to the content of the input operation, and adjusts the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70. Therefore, the user can change the setting of the ice size by operating the water injection amount change button of the operation portion 91.

However, when the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 includes an error due to the temporal change of the weight detecting unit 60, the accuracy of the water injection control by the control unit 21 is lowered. At this point, when the operation unit 91 receives the input operation of the correction button, the control unit 21 has a correction function for correcting the error caused by the temporal change of the weight detecting unit 60.

For example, when the user sets the water tank 10 in an empty state and presses the correction button, the control unit 21 applies a constant voltage V to the load cell 61. Further, the control unit 21 updates various pieces of information in the storage unit 22 based on the output current value I output from the load cell 61. Thereby, the refrigerator 100 can maintain the accuracy of the water injection control performed by the control unit 21 with stability. Further, by the correction function of the control unit 21, it is possible to correct errors caused by consumption of other components and the like.

The correction function of the control unit 21 is an error of the initial setting value such as correction and shipment, and it is preferable to press the correction button when the water inlet 10 is in an empty state. Therefore, when the correction button is pressed, the control unit 21 may cause the notification unit 92 to output information indicating that "the water inlet 10 should be empty".

Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of the amount M of water in the water injection tank 10. Fig. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 and the resistance Ω of the weight detecting portion 60. Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 and the output current value I of the weight detecting portion 60. FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of a water amount conversion table in which the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 and the resistance value Ω of the weight detecting unit 60 are associated with each other.

Here, as in the example of Fig. 7, it is assumed that the amount of water M in the water-filling tank 10 is reduced by, for example, M ₀ → M ₁ → M ₂ → M ₃ due to the water injection to the ice making tray 70, indicating that in this case The relationship between the water amount M and the resistance value Ω of the load cell 61, and the relationship between the water amount M and the output current value I which flows when a certain voltage V is applied to the load cell 61. In addition, hereinafter, the resistance value Ω of the load cell 61 is also referred to as "resistance Ω". The water amount M shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 corresponds to the seventh figure. In the case of the water amount M, the relationship of "M ₀ > M ₁ > M ₂ > M ₃ " is present, and the resistance value Ω is presented. In the relationship of "Ω ₀ > Ω ₁ > Ω ₂ > Ω ₃ ", the relationship of "I ₀ <I ₁ <I ₂ <I ₃ " is expressed as the output current value I.

The resistance Ω varies depending on the weight of the water inlet 10 applied to the load cell 61. The closer the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is to full water, the larger the pressure applied to the load cell 61 is, and the resistance Ω becomes larger. On the other hand, when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is small, the pressure applied to the load cell 61 is small, and the resistance Ω is also small. That is, as shown in Fig. 8, as the water amount M is sequentially decreased to M ₀ → M ₁ → M ₂ → M ₃ , the resistance Ω is also sequentially reduced to Ω ₀ → Ω ₁ → Ω ₂ → Ω ₃ .

At the start of the water injection, when the load cell 61 is applied with a constant voltage V, the output current value I corresponding to the voltage V can be obtained. According to the above relationship between the pressure and the resistance Ω, when the water amount M in the water inlet 10 is close to full water, the obtained output current value I is small, and when the water amount M in the water inlet 10 is relatively empty, the obtained output is obtained. The current value I is large. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, as the amount of water M in the water inlet 10 is sequentially decreased to M ₀ → M ₁ → M ₂ → M ₃ , the obtained output current value I is sequentially increased to I ₀ → I ₁ → I ₂ → I ₃ .

Based on the above relationship, the refrigerator 100 can linearly detect the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 by the weight detecting portion 60. Therefore, the control unit 21 can instantly obtain the water amount M based on the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60.

More specifically, the memory unit 22 stores table information in which the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 and the water amount M of the water inlet 10 are associated with each other. In the first embodiment, the storage unit 22 memorizes the water amount conversion table, which is table information in which the water amount M and the resistance value Ω are associated. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, in the water amount conversion table, Ω ₀ , Ω ₁ , Ω ₂ , and Ω _{3 of the} resistance Ω are associated with M ₀ , M ₁ , M ₂ , and M _{3 of the} water amount M, respectively. Further, the present invention is not limited to the example of Fig. 10. In the water amount conversion table, an arbitrary number of resistance values Ω and water amounts M associated with each other can be stored in accordance with the capacity of the water tank 10 and the setting of the ice size. Further, the control unit 21 compares the detected value rainwater amount conversion tables detected by the weight detecting unit 60 to obtain the water amount M. Moreover, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output the information of the water amount M obtained.

Further, the control unit 21 applies a constant voltage V to the load cell 61 before the start of the water injection operation to obtain the detected value (that is, the output current value I ₀ ) detected by the weight detecting unit 60. Then, the control unit 21 obtains the detected value (detected current value I ₀ ) detected by the weight detecting unit 60 before the start of the water injection, and obtains the output current value of the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 when the water injection is stopped. I _{1 is} used as a water injection stop threshold for judging the end of water injection.

In other words, the control unit 21 obtains the detected value (output current value I ₀ ) detected before the start of water injection by the weight detecting unit 60 and the voltage V applied to the load cell 61 to obtain the resistance value Ω before the start of water injection. The resistance Ω and the water amount conversion table obtained by the comparison are compared to obtain the water amount M at the current time point. Moreover, the control unit 21 subtracts the water injection amount Q from the water amount M at the current time point to calculate the water amount after the water injection. Further, the control unit 21 compares the calculated water amount after water injection with the water amount conversion table to read the resistance value Ω, and obtains the output current value I ₁ based on the read resistance value Ω and the voltage V as The water injection stop threshold. At this time, the control unit 21 drives the water injection pump 50, and continuously monitors the change in the output value of the weight detecting unit 60 during the water injection. Then, when the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold, the driving of the water injection pump 50 is stopped.

In addition, the control unit 21 controls the driving of the heater 10a and the water injection pump 50 and the output to the notification unit 92 in response to the content of the operation received by the operation panel unit 90 and the detection value detected by the weight detecting unit 60.

The control unit 21 is controlled to energize the heater 10a so that the temperature of the water in the water injection tank 10 is 0 or more. That is, the control portion 21 controls so that the water temperature of the water in the water injection tank 10 is as low as possible within a range that is not frozen. Here, since the heat capacity changes depending on the amount of water in the water injection tank 10, an appropriate electric conduction rate also varies depending on the water amount M. In response to this, the memory unit 22 stores the electric power rate correspondence information, which is table information in which the water amount M is associated with an appropriate heater energization rate. Therefore, the control unit 21 can set an appropriate heater energization rate by comparing the water amount M and the energization rate correspondence information, so that the power consumption can be reduced.

However, when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is small compared to the case of full water, the temperature of the water is liable to lower, so that the water in the water injection tank 10 is frozen. Therefore, the control unit 21 is configured to change the conduction rate of the heater 10a for preventing freezing by the amount of water M. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100, it is possible to prevent the water in the water inlet 10 from freezing and to reduce unnecessary heat generation.

Further, the memory unit 22 stores the ice-making possible water amount M ₃ as information that the control unit 21 refers to when it is determined whether or not it is possible to perform ice making using the water amount M at the current time point. Further, the control unit 21 has a function of determining whether or not the amount of water M at the current time point is equal to or higher than the ice making possible water amount M ₃ . When the water amount M at the current time point is the normal state of the ice making possible water amount M ₃ or more, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output information indicating the amount of water M at the current time point, and if the amount of water M at the current time point is not When the ice making amount may be equal to or greater than the water amount M ₃ , the notifying unit 92 outputs information indicating that the water amount M is insufficient.

Here, even if the water amount M of the water injection tank 10 is equal to or higher than the ice making possible water amount M ₃ , when the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 does not reach the water injection stopping threshold value after the water injection starts to elapse for a certain period of time, it can be presumed that The setting state of the water injection tank 10 or the state of the surrounding parts is abnormal. Therefore, the control unit 21 has a function of determining whether or not the drive time T of the water injection pump 50 has reached the drive restriction time T ₀ before the detected value detected by the weight detection unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold. Further, when the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 does not reach the water injection stop threshold and the drive time T of the water injection pump 50 has reached the drive limit time T ₀ , the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output information indicating that the error has occurred.

Fig. 11 is a view showing an example of a size change table in which the ice block size and the resistance variation value ΔΩ are associated. Here, the resistance variation value ΔΩ is the amount of change in the resistance Ω which is reduced when the ice tray 70 is once filled with water. The size change table is memorized in the memory unit 22.

The operation unit 91 is configured to allow the user to select and set a plurality of ice cube sizes in stages. That is, the user can set the ice size by the operation of the water injection amount change button of the operation portion 91. Memorize the memory in the memory unit 22 The inch change table is a table information corresponding to a plurality of ice block sizes and resistance change values ΔΩ that can be set by the user. Further, after driving the water injection pump 50, the control unit 21 reads the resistance variation value ΔΩ corresponding to the ice size set by the user from the size change table. Further, when the resistance value Ω obtained from the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 is changed by the amount of the resistance variation value ΔΩ read by the control unit 21, the water injection pump 50 is stopped.

For example, when the user who wants to make an ice cube quickly sets a small ice size in the operation unit 91, the control unit 21 controls to reduce the water injection amount Q in response to the setting content of the user. Thereby, the size of each ice block can be controlled to a small size. On the other hand, when the user who wants a larger ice block sets a larger ice size in the operation unit 91, the control unit 21 controls so that the water injection amount Q becomes large. Thereby, the size of each ice block can be made large.

In the case of a conventional refrigerator, in order to satisfy the user's need to change the size of the ice, it is necessary to have a plurality of ice trays of different sizes. That is, a user who uses a conventional refrigerator, when he wants to change the size of the ice, uses a method of changing the ice making tray, and it takes time and space to store the ice tray that is not used.

On the other hand, in the refrigerator 100, since the resistance variation value ΔΩ is stored in the memory unit 22 in advance, the control unit 21 can adjust the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 and change it by referring to the memory unit 22 based on the mode set by the user. Ice cube size. Therefore, it is not necessary to replace the ice making tray 70, and it is possible to make ice cubes that meet the size required by the user.

Further, in Fig. 11, the case where the ice block size and the resistance variation value ΔΩ are one-to-one correspondence is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and in the size change table, the memory may correspond to each ice block size. Water in the water tank 10 The plurality of resistance fluctuation values ΔΩ of the quantity M. Then, the control unit 21 determines the resistance variation value ΔΩ based on the ice size set by the user and the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 at the current time point.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view showing the water amount of the notification unit 92 in Fig. 2 when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is sufficient. Fig. 13 is a schematic view showing an example in which the amount of water in the notification unit 92 in Fig. 2 indicates that the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is insufficient. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the water amount of the notification unit 92 in Fig. 2 when the control unit 21 determines that it is in an abnormal state. The display contents of the notification unit 92 corresponding to the amount of water M in the water inlet 10 and the like will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14 . Further, the notification unit 92 illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 14 is configured to display the amount of water remaining in the water tank indicating the amount of residual water in the water injection tank 10.

When the water amount M at the current time is in the normal state of the ice making possible water amount M ₃ or more, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to display information indicating the amount of water M at the current time point. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to display an indication mark corresponding to the amount of water M. In addition, in FIG. 12, the case where the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is full is illustrated.

When the control unit 21 determines that the water amount M has not reached the ice making possible water amount M3, the notification unit 92 causes the notification unit 92 to display information indicating that the water amount M is insufficient. A method of displaying information indicating that the amount of water M is insufficient may be employed, for example, a method of causing the display of the notification unit 92 to blink as shown in FIG. In this way, the user can be made aware of the fact that the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is insufficient. Further, in Fig. 13, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to blink to indicate that the amount of remaining water in the sink is the lowest state.

Further, when the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 does not reach the water injection stop threshold value and the drive time T of the water injection pump 50 has reached the drive restriction time T ₀ , the control unit 21 determines that the abnormal state is present, and causes the notification unit 92 to output Information about the error. A display method for indicating the occurrence of an error can be employed. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, the display of the notification unit 92 is blinked. Thereby, the user can be prompted to inspect the water inlet 10 and surrounding parts. Further, in Fig. 14, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to blink to indicate that the amount of water remaining in the water tank is the highest state, thereby distinguishing it from the case where the information indicating that the water amount M is insufficient is displayed.

In the above, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to display the water amount M in five stages. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the water tank 10 and the ice tray 70 may be used in response to the description. The capacity, etc., changes the stage indicating the amount of water M. Further, the method of indicating the amount of water M is not limited to the indication, and the control unit 21 may cause the notification unit 92 to display a numerical value corresponding to the digit of the water amount M.

Further, although the case where the notification unit 92 displays various kinds of information is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 12 to 14 , the present invention is not limited thereto, and the notification unit 92 may be constituted by, for example, a speaker or a buzzer. Various information is reported to the outside by means of sound or hum. Further, the notification unit 92 may be configured to have a function of displaying various kinds of information and a function of notifying various kinds of information by means of sound or hum.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing the relationship between the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 and the water amount M in the water injection tank 10 when the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 is fixed in the conventional configuration. Fig. 18 is a view showing the relationship between the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 and the number n of ice making times when the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 is fixed in the conventional configuration. Fig. 19 is a schematic view showing a state of water supply to the ice tray 70 when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is large in the conventional configuration. Fig. 20 is a schematic view showing a state of water supply to the ice tray 70 when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is small in the conventional configuration.

In general, when the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 is constant (that is, the water injection time is constant), as shown in FIG. 17, the water injection amount Q injected into the ice making tray 70 follows the amount M of water in the water inlet tank 10. Decrease and decrease. That is, as the amount of water M in the water inlet 10 is sequentially reduced to M ₀ → M ₁ → M ₂ → M ₃ , the amount of water Q supplied to the ice tray 70 is also sequentially reduced to Q ₀ → Q ₁ → Q ₂ → Q ₃ . Here, for example, when the amount of water M is M ₀ and the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is large, the size of the ice cubes produced is uniform, as shown in Fig. 19.

Fig. 18 is a view showing the relationship between the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 and the number n of ice making times when the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 is fixed in the conventional configuration. In this way, each time the number n of ice making is accumulated, the amount M of water in the water injection tank 10 is reduced, and the amount of water injection Q is also reduced. In particular, after the 10th time, the water level of the water injection tank 10 is lower than the position of the water injection pump 50, so that air is mixed into the water injection pump 50, and water cannot be smoothly injected into the ice making tray 70, so that the water injection amount Q is remarkably lowered. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 20, when the amount of water M in the water tank 10 is small, the amount of water that can be injected into one of the grids of the ice tray 70 is reduced, or water cannot be distributed to all the grids, so that the water is made. If the size of the ice is uneven, the number of ice cubes will decrease.

Therefore, in the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, after the control unit 21 drives the water injection pump 50, when the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold value, the water injection pump 50 is stopped. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100, since the water injection amount Q can be kept constant, the water injection amount Q can be stabilized regardless of the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10, and the size and number of ice cubes generated can be prevented from being uneven.

In addition, the control unit 21 can be realized by hardware such as a circuit element that realizes each of the above functions, and can be implemented by, for example, a microcomputer such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) or a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The software implemented on the device is implemented. Further, the storage unit 22 may be constituted by an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing the operation of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment. The control operation performed by the control unit 21 of the refrigerator 100 will be described based on Fig. 15 .

First, the control unit 21 determines whether or not it is in the ice making mode (Fig. 15: step S101). If it is not in the ice making mode (Fig. 15: step S101/No), the control unit 21 stands by until it switches to the ice making mode. On the other hand, when the control unit 21 is in the ice making mode (Fig. 15: step S101/Yes), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the ice making start condition is satisfied. For example, the ice making start condition includes the following conditions; the ice storage amount in the ice making chamber 102 does not reach a certain amount or more. Further, the ice making start condition can be appropriately set in accordance with the use condition of the refrigerator 100 by the user (FIG. 15: Step S102).

If the ice making start condition is not satisfied (FIG. 15: Step S102/No), the control unit 21 returns to step S101. On the other hand, when the ice-making start condition is satisfied (fifteenth diagram: step S102/Yes), the control unit 21 acquires the detected value (output current value I ₀ ) from the weight detecting unit 60, and obtains the resistance value Ω. Then, the control unit 21 compares the obtained resistance value Ω with the water amount conversion table, and obtains the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 at the current time point (Fig. 15: step S103).

Then, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the water amount M at the current time point is equal to or higher than the ice making possible water amount M ₃ (Fig. 15: step S104). When the water amount M at the current time point does not reach the ice making possible water amount M ₃ or more (Fig. 15: Step S104/No), the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output information indicating that the water amount M is insufficient (Fig. 15: Step S105) ), and returns to step S101.

On the other hand, when the water amount M at the current time point is the normal state of the ice making possible water amount M ₃ or more (fifteenth map: step S104/Yes), the control unit 21 among the water injection amounts Q that have been memorized from the storage unit 22 , select and read the water injection amount Q corresponding to the mode set by the user. Then, the control unit 21 subtracts the water injection amount Q that has been read from the water amount M at the current time point, and calculates the amount of water M at the end of the water injection to the ice tray 70 (that is, the amount of water after water injection). Then, the control unit 21 converts the calculated amount of water after water injection into a water injection stop threshold. In other words, the control unit 21 compares the calculated water amount after water injection with the water amount conversion table in the storage unit 22, thereby reading the resistance Ω corresponding to the amount of water after the water injection, and then reading the resistance value Q from the reading. The output current value I ₁ as the water injection stop threshold is obtained. At this time, the control unit 21 causes the notification unit 92 to output information indicating the amount of water M at the current time point (Fig. 15: step S106).

Further, the control unit 21 starts driving the water injection pump 50 and starts counting the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 (FIG. 15: Step S107). Then, the control unit 21 continuously monitors the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60, and determines whether or not the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 has reached the water injection stopping threshold (Fig. 15: step S108).

When the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 does not reach the water injection stopping threshold (FIG. 15: Step S108/No), the control unit 21 determines whether or not the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 has reached the driving time limit T ₀ (15th) Figure: Step S109). If the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 has not reached the driving limit time T ₀ (FIG. 15: Step S109/No), the process returns to step S108.

On the other hand, when the drive time T of the water injection pump 50 has reached the drive restriction time T ₀ (fifteenth diagram: step S109/Yes), the control unit 21 determines that the abnormal state has occurred, and causes the notification unit 92 to output an error indicating that the error has occurred. News. In other words, when the control unit 21 has passed the drive restriction time T ₀ but the detected value of the weight detection unit 60 has not reached the target value, the notification unit 92 outputs the information indicating the occurrence of the error to prompt the user to check. The water tank 10 and its surrounding parts (Fig. 15: step S110).

When the drive time T of the water injection pump 50 has not reached the drive restriction time T ₀ and the detected value of the weight detection unit 60 has reached the water injection stop threshold (FIG. 15: Step S108/Yes), the control unit 21 stops. The water injection pump 50 is driven while stopping the counting of the driving time T of the water injection pump 50 (Fig. 15: step S111).

In the above description of the operation, the control operation performed by the control unit 21 will be described in the order of the symbols in FIG. 15, but it is not limited thereto. That is, for example, the control unit 21 may simultaneously perform the processes of steps S104 to S107.

As described above, in the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, after the water pump 50 is driven, the control unit 21 stops driving the water injection pump 50 when the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold. In other words, the control unit 21 converts the output value of the weight detecting unit 60 into the water amount M, subtracts the water injection amount Q stored in the storage unit 22, calculates the water amount after the water injection, and drives the water injection pump 50 until the obtained weight is obtained. The output value of the detecting unit 60 corresponds to the amount of water after water injection. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100, since the water injection amount Q can be maintained constant, the water injection amount Q can be stabilized regardless of the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10, and the size and number of ice cubes generated can be prevented from being uneven.

<Modification>

Fig. 16 is a view showing an example of a variation value conversion table in which the resistance value Ω and the resistance variation value ΔΩ are associated with each other. Here, the resistance variation value ΔΩ is a variation amount of the resistance value Ω which is reduced when the ice tray 70 is once filled with water, and corresponds to a set value corresponding to the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70. In the refrigerator 100 according to the modification of the first embodiment, the memory unit 22 memorizes the variation value conversion table as illustrated in FIG. Therefore, the control unit 21 can obtain the output as the water injection stop threshold based on the detected value (output current value I ₀ ) detected by the weight detecting unit 60 before the start of the water injection, with reference to the fluctuation value conversion table in the memory unit 22 . Current value I ₁ .

More specifically, the control unit 21 obtains the resistance value Ω at the current time point from the output current value I ₀ , compares the resistance value Ω with the variation value conversion table, and reads the resistance value Ω appearing at the time point. The resistance variation value is ΔΩ. Then, the control unit 21 subtracts the read resistance variation value ΔΩ from the resistance value Ω at the current time point, and calculates the output current value I ₁ as the water injection stop threshold value from the subtracted numerical value. Thereby, the control unit 21 can continuously drive the water injection pump 50 until the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold value, and stops the driving of the time when the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold value. Water pump 50.

Further, the variation value conversion table may be a table information in which the output current value I is associated with the fluctuation amount (current fluctuation value ΔI) of the output current value I which is increased by one water injection into the ice tray 70. In this case, the current fluctuation value ΔI corresponds to a set value corresponding to the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70. In other words, the set value corresponding to the water injection amount Q supplied to the ice tray 70 is a value indicating that the detected value of the weight detecting unit 60 corresponds to the amount of change in the amount of water injected into the ice tray 70. Further, the control unit 21 can obtain the water injection stop threshold value by subtracting the set value corresponding to the water injection amount to the ice tray 70 from the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 before the water injection.

As described above, in the refrigerator 100 according to the modification of the first embodiment, after the control unit 21 drives the water injection pump 50, when the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit 60 reaches the water injection stop threshold value, the water injection pump 50 is stopped. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100, since the water injection amount Q can be kept constant, the water injection amount Q can be stabilized regardless of the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10, and the size and number of ice cubes generated can be prevented from being uneven.

Further, the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment is configured such that only the second protrusion portion 12 is in contact with the weight detecting portion 60 buried in the bottom portion directly below the water inlet tank 10. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100, the pressure applied to the weight detecting portion 60 can be increased, so that the sensitivity of the weight detecting portion 60 to the increase or decrease of the amount of water in the water filling tank 10 can be improved.

Further, the control unit 21 of the first embodiment has a function of detecting that the water inlet 10 is empty or that the amount of residual water is insufficient. Therefore, in the ice making mode, the control unit 21 can transmit the information indicating that the water amount M is insufficient to the user through the notification unit 92. Thereby, the user can be prompted to add water to the water injection tank 10. Further, in the control unit 21 of the first embodiment, the heater 10a can be energized at a current rate suitable for the heat capacity corresponding to the amount of residual water in the water tank, so that the power consumption can be reduced.

Further, when the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 is small compared to the case of full water, the temperature of the water is liable to lower, so that the water in the water injection tank 10 is frozen. In this regard, the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment changes the conduction rate of the heater 10a for preventing freezing in accordance with the amount of residual water in the water tank 10, so that it is possible to prevent the water in the water inlet 10 from freezing and to reduce unnecessary amounts. heat.

Embodiment 2

Fig. 21 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the components around the weight detecting portion of the refrigerator in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, the weight detecting portion 60 is attached to the bottom surface 80a of the bottom 80 of the water tank formed of resin or the like. Therefore, depending on the relationship between the thickness and the hardness of the bottom surface 80a, it is not possible to ensure sufficient detection accuracy of the weight detecting portion 60, and it is difficult to detect the amount of water M. In addition, it is conceivable that the weight detecting portion 60 may not be easily replaced at the time of service maintenance.

Therefore, the refrigerator of the second embodiment is configured to improve the detection accuracy of the weight detecting portion and to facilitate the replacement of the weight detecting portion. The constituent members corresponding to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

As shown in Fig. 21, the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment includes a water tank bottom portion 180, a bottom independent member 181, a sensor holder 182, and a lid body 183. The bottom portion 180 of the water tank is configured to include a heat insulating material and support the water injection tank 10. The bottom independent member 181 is detachably provided at the bottom portion 180 of the water tank, and is provided with a groove at a position where the weight detecting portion 60 is disposed. The bottom individual member 181 is formed to be embedded in the sink bottom 180. The sensor holder 182 is fixed to the center portion of the groove of the bottom independent member 181 for supporting the weight detecting portion 60. The lid body 183 is fitted to a groove formed between the groove of the bottom independent member 181 and the outer circumference of the sensor holder 182, and covers the weight detecting portion 60. That is, the weight detecting portion 60 is mounted inside the bottom independent member 181 (a separate component that can be detached from the water tank bottom 180).

A waterproof rib (not shown) for preventing water from flowing into the weight detecting portion 60 is provided at an upper portion of the sensor holder 182 and a lower portion of the lid body 183 so that water does not pass from the sensor holder 182 and the lid body. Enter between 183.

As described above, in the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment, the weight detecting portion 60 is not attached to the bottom surface 180a of the water tank bottom portion 180, but the weight detecting portion 60 is provided above the bottom independent member 181 that is fitted into the water tank bottom portion 180. Further, the upper portion of the weight detecting portion 60 is covered by the lid body 183. Further, the bottom surface 12a of the second protrusion 12 is placed in contact with the lid body 183, whereby the weight of the water tank 10 is directly transmitted to the weight detecting portion 60. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment, the amount of water that is once injected into the ice tray 70 can be maintained constant. The amount of water M in the water tank 10 can be stabilized, and the amount of water injected into the ice tray 70 can be stabilized, and the size and number of ice cubes generated can be prevented from being uneven. In other words, the structure of the refrigerator 100 is such that the weight of the weight detecting portion 60 is not attenuated, and the load is directly applied to the weight detecting portion 60, so that the sensitivity of the weight detecting portion 60 can be improved.

Further, in the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment, the weight detecting portion 60 is provided in the bottom independent member 181 which is independent of the bottom portion 180 of the water tank. Therefore, when the weight detecting portion 60 has a problem, the weight detection can be easily replaced. The part 60 can improve service maintainability. From the viewpoint of ease of replacement of the weight detecting portion 60, the weight detecting portion 60 may be directly provided on the bottom independent member 181 without providing the sensor holder 182 and the lid 183. Other effects are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

Further, each of the above embodiments is a suitable specific example of the refrigerator, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in order to improve the detection accuracy of the weight detecting unit 60, the refrigerator 100 sets the first protrusion 11 and the second protrusion 12 in front of and behind the water inlet 10 . That is, it is configured such that the first protrusion portion 11 as the front side foot is the axis such that the moment of rotation is maximized, the second protrusion portion 12 is provided behind the water injection tank 10, and the maximum weight is applied to the weight detection portion 60. The weight is not limited to the first projection 11 or the first projection 11 and the second projection 12, as long as a certain detection accuracy can be ensured.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the refrigerator 100 having a storage compartment having five temperature zones is exemplified, but the number and shape of the storage compartment of the refrigerator 100 may be arbitrarily changed as long as it has a note. The water tank 10 and the automatic ice making device 40 are sufficient. Further, the water amount conversion table may be a table information in which the amount of water M in the water injection tank 10 and the output current value I are associated with each other.

Claims (15)

A refrigerator comprising: a water tank provided in a refrigerating temperature zone; an ice making tray capable of making ice cubes; providing water in the water tank to the water injection pump of the ice making tray; and detecting the weight of the water tank corresponding thereto a weight detecting unit of the value; the control unit obtains a detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit, and controls driving of the water pump; wherein the control unit uses the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit before water injection and The water injection amount supplied to the ice tray is obtained as a water injection stop threshold, and the water injection pump is driven, and when the detected value obtained by the weight detection unit reaches the water injection stop threshold, the water injection pump is stopped. According to the refrigerator of the first aspect of the invention, the weight detecting unit converts the force applied from the outside into an electric signal. In the refrigerator according to the second aspect of the invention, the weight detecting unit uses a current value corresponding to a voltage applied by the control unit as the detected value and outputs the detected value to the control unit; the water injection stop threshold is a current value. . In the refrigerator according to the first aspect of the invention, the control unit uses a set value indicating a change amount of the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit as the water injection amount supplied to the ice making tray. In the refrigerator according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the control unit subtracts the set value from the detected value obtained by the weight detecting unit before water injection to obtain the water injection stop threshold. The refrigerator according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores table information stored in association with the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit and the water amount of the water tank, and provides The water injection amount of the ice tray; the control unit compares the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit with the table information to obtain the amount of water in the water tank, and subtracts the water amount from the memory unit The difference between the water injection amount supplied to the ice tray is determined, and the water injection stop threshold is obtained. The refrigerator according to claim 6, further comprising: a notification unit that outputs various kinds of information; the control unit causes the notification unit to output the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit to the table information. After the water quantity information obtained. The refrigerator according to the first aspect of the invention, further comprising: a notification unit that outputs various kinds of information; and a storage unit that stores the detected value detected by the weight detection unit in association with the water amount of the water injection tank The table information is obtained by comparing the detected value detected by the weight detecting unit with the table information to obtain the amount of water in the water tank, and the notifying unit outputs the obtained water amount information. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising: a water tank detecting unit that detects whether or not the water tank is installed; and the control unit before the fact that the water tank detecting unit detects that the water tank is installed When the door piece of the storage compartment in which the water tank is stored is closed, the notification unit outputs information indicating that the water tank is incorrectly set. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a bottom surface of the water tank is provided with a protrusion that abuts against the weight detecting portion. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a bottom of the water tank supporting the water tank; a bottom independent member embedded in the bottom of the water tank; wherein the weight detecting portion is disposed at the bottom independent member . The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: an operation portion having a water injection amount change button for changing a setting of a water injection amount supplied to the ice making tray; the control portion, When the operation portion receives the input operation by the water injection amount change button, the amount of water supply supplied to the ice making tray is adjusted in accordance with the content of the input operation. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the operation unit receives a setting operation of selecting one of a plurality of ice cube sizes through the water injection amount change button. The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: an operation unit that receives a setting of an ice size; the control unit adjusts and provides according to an ice block size set in the operation unit The amount of water injected into the ice tray. The refrigerator according to claim 12, wherein the operation portion has a correction button for correcting the weight detection portion; the control portion receives an input operation by the operation portion by the correction button At this time, the error caused by the detected value of the weight detecting portion is corrected.