US20090145148A1

US20090145148A1 - Water inflow control structure of ice machine

Info

Publication number: US20090145148A1
Application number: US11/951,124
Authority: US
Inventors: Chun-Chuan Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Zippy Technology Corp
Priority date: 2007-12-05
Filing date: 2007-12-05
Publication date: 2009-06-11

Abstract

The present invention for controlling an inflow time schedule of an ice machine includes a water inflow mechanism and a water amount control switch. The ice machine further includes a control axle, and the movement stroke of the control axle includes at least a closing locus linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to stop water inflow, and at least two opening loci which are located in the pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to start water inflow. Since one closing locus is located between two opening loci, the water inflow of the water inflow mechanism will be separated into at least two times, so as to achieve a sectional water supplying effect, thereby reducing the wave motion of water in the ice tray and providing a smooth water supply.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a water inflow control structure of an ice machine, and more particularly to a control structure for controlling water inflow amount and inflow time schedule of an ice machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ice machine is commonly used by restaurants or the general domestic refrigerators. Generally, the ice machine at least has an ice tray and a water inflow mechanism, wherein the water inflow mechanism is connected to a water source for proving water to the ice tray, then the water in the ice tray waits for being frozen, and the ice cubes are removed for repeating the ice making process. There are many water supplying manners for the water inflow mechanism. For example, R.O.C. Patent No. I277715, entitled “Automatic ice making device and refrigerator with thereof”, includes an ice tray and a water storage tank, and also a water pump for providing the water in the water-storage tank to the ice tray. The action of the water pump is controlled by a sensor, which is used to detect the position of the ice tray. But, this patent does not provide the method and structure for controlling water supply, so that the water supply is completed by batch. Another example of R.O.C. Patent No. I274133, entitled “Refrigerator” includes a water supplying tank, an ice tray and a water supplying machine, whose driving time is set by the user. Through altering the duration for supplying water, the water supplying amount can be altered. However, the water supplying is also completed by batch. Further, because the water supplying amount is larger and the flowing speed is faster, the wave motion of the water surface might be bigger, so that the detecting signal might have error, and thus, the water inflow mechanism might also have erroneous action, thereby occurring the problem of insufficient or excess water amount. Therefore, there is the need to improve thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a water supplying mechanism capable of smoothly supplying water, so as to avoid the water surface from waving too much as supplying water.
The present invention provides a water inflow control structure of an ice machine for controlling the inflow time schedule of the ice machine. The ice machine includes a water inflow mechanism and a water amount control switch for controlling an inflow time schedule of the water inflow mechanism. The ice machine further includes a control axle, and the movement stroke of the control axle includes at least a closing locus which is linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to stop water inflow, and at least two opening loci which are located in the pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to start water inflow. Since one closing locus is located between two opening loci, the water inflow of the water inflow mechanism will be separated into at least two times, so as to achieve a sectional water supplying effect, thereby reducing the wave motion of water in the ice tray and providing a smooth water supply.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional drawing showing an ice machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is another three-dimensional drawing showing the ice machine in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is a schematic view showing the first action of a control axle according to the present invention;

FIG. 3B is a schematic view showing the second action of a control axle according to the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a schematic view showing the first water inflow process according to the present invention;

FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing the second water inflow process according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4C is a schematic view showing the third water inflow process according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 for showing the three-dimensional drawings of an ice machine in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention. The ice machine includes a control system 1, a water inflow mechanism 6, an ice try 4 for receiving the water from the water inflow mechanism 6 so as to be frozen to form ice cubes 9, a driving motor 3, a driving gear set 31 combined with the driving motor 3, a control axle 7 and an ice sweeping shaft 5, and further includes a first guiding board 81, a blocking board 82 and a second guiding board 83 which are used for assisting in collecting the ice cubes 9 for storage. The control system 1 can set to have an ice making procedure, wherein the water in the ice tray 4 waits for being frozen, the driving motor 3 drives the driving gear set 31 to rotate the ice sweep shaft 5 for removing the ice cubes 9 in the ice tray 4, and the water inflow mechanism 6 re-supplies water to the ice tray for repeating the ice making process. The ice machine further includes a water amount control switch 2, which has a button 21 for controlling the water inflow mechanism 6 to be open or close. The water amount control switch 2 is connected to the control axle 7. The control axle 7 has a movement stroke including at least a closing locus 71 and at least two opening loci 72, wherein the closing locus 71 is linked to the water amount control switch 2 for letting the water inflow mechanism 6 to stop water inflow, and the opening loci 72 are located in the pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch 2 for letting the water inflow mechanism 6 to start water inflow. Through the driving motor 3 driving the control axle 7 to rotate, the control axle 7 can have a linkage with the water amount control switch 2 for deciding the time schedule of water inflow, so as to control the water inflow mechanism to start or stop water supplying. Furthermore, the control axle 7 is linked with the ice sweeping shaft 5, or the control axle 7 can be connected with the ice sweeping shaft 5 for simplifying the driving process and also achieving a synchronization effect.
Please refer to FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B which show the action relationship of the control axle 7 and the water amount control switch 2. The control axle 7 has a rotation axle center 73, and the axle center 73 has different distances to the closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72. In this embodiment, the opening locus 72 is relatively closer to the axle center 73 than the closing locus 71 (namely, the closing locus 71 sinks toward the axle center 73), as shown in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. Following the actions of the control axle 7, the closing locus 71 will reject to the button 21 of the water amount control switch 2, so that the water inflow mechanism stops the water inflow. Continuously, the control axle 7 moves to force the opening locus 72 to move to the button 21, and at this time, compared with the closing locus 71, the opening locus 72 gives a releasing space to the button 21, so that the water amount control switch 2 makes the water inflow mechanism 6 to start water supplying. Furthermore, following the rotation of the control axle 7, the closing locus 71 between two opening loci 72 again forces the water inflow mechanism 6 to stop water supplying, and then, the another opening locus 72 will continuously release the button 21 so as to make the water inflow mechanism 6 to start water supplying. Therefore, a sectional water supplying mode is formed. Here, the number of the opening locus 72 is not limited and can be adjusted according to practical demands. Moreover, the water amount control switch 2 also can have multiple water amount control positions, so that, between the totally open position and the close position, a partial amount position for water supplying can be formed. For matching to the water amount control switch 2 with the multiple water amount control positions, the control axle 7 can further include at least a transitional locus 74 connected between the closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72, so that the closing locus 71 and the opening locus 72 can be smoothly connected and the transitional locus 74 can let the water control switch 2 to locate at a position to provide less amount of water.
Please refer FIGS. 4A-4C which show the water inflow process. In FIG. 4A, the ice tray 4 contains the congealed ice cubes 9, and at this time, the ice sweeping shaft 5 is located above the ice tray 4 and does not contact with the ice cubes 9, and the control axle 7 is rejected to the button 21 through the closing locus 71 for letting the water inflow mechanism 6 not to supply water. ID FIG. 4B, the control system 1 commands the driving motor 3 to rotate the control axle 7 and the ice sweep shaft 5, so that the ice cubes 9 are pushed out of the ice tray 4. In FIG. 4C, following the rotation of the ice sweeping shaft 5 and the control axle 7, the opening locus 72 moves to the button 21 to release the button 21, so that the water inflow mechanism 6 starts to supply water to the ice tray 4. And, through the continuous rotation of the control axle 7, the button 21 passes through plural opening loci 72 and closing loci 71, which are located therebetween, and multiple rejection and releasing processes, so that the water inflow mechanism 6 can separately inflow the water for many times, thereby reducing the wave motion of the water in the ice tray.
Although the present invention has disclosed through the preferred embodiment described above, it is not restricted. The control system 1 can be a motor-controlled sequential circuit. The ice machine can further include a detection device for detecting the water level in the ice tray 4. Furthermore, when the button 21 of the water amount control switch 2 is pressed down, the water supply starts, and when the button 21 is released, the water supply stops. Besides, the types and actions of the water amount control switch 2 are not limited.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the fill extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A water inflow control structure of an ice machine having a water inflow mechanism and a water amount control switch for controlling an inflow time schedule of the water inflow mechanism, characterized in that:

the water inflow control switch connects to a control axle for deciding the inflow time schedule, and the movement stroke of the control axle includes at least a closing locus which is linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to stop water inflow, and at least two opening loci which are located in the pathway of the closing locus and are linked to the water amount control switch for letting the water inflow mechanism to start water inflow.

2. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ice machine further comprises an ice tray for receiving the water supplied by the water inflow mechanism so as to form ice cubes, an ice sweeping shaft for removing the ice cubes out of the ice tray, a driving motor for driving the ice sweeping shaft, and a control system for setting ice making procedure so as to control the driving motor to rotate.

3. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control axle is connected to the ice sweeping shaft and is also driven by the driving motor.

4. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the control system is a motor-controlled sequential circuit.

5. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the driving motor is combined with a driving gear set for moving the control axle.

6. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control axle has a rotation axle center, whose distances respectively to the closing locus and the opening loci are different.

7. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control axle further comprises a transitional locus connected between the closing locus and the opening locus.

8. The water inflow control structure of the ice machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ice machine further comprises a detection device for detecting the water level in the ice tray.