WO2006010540A1

WO2006010540A1 - Ice preparing device

Info

Publication number: WO2006010540A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/007881
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ulibarrena David Astrain; José GONZALEZ VIAN; ROSANO José Manuel LAMUELA
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2004-07-23
Filing date: 2005-07-20
Publication date: 2006-02-02
Also published as: CN1989379A; DE102004035733A1; EP1782003A1

Abstract

An ice preparing device comprising a moulding container (1), which is open on one side, and at least one Peletier element (4) used to cool the moulding container (1). The moulding container (1) can be moved on a frame (10) between a position wherein the opening of the moulding container (1) is oriented upwards and a position wherein the opening is oriented downwards.

Description

Ice makers

The present invention relates to an ice maker with a Formbehäl¬ open on one side and at least one Peltier element for cooling the mold container and generating a piece of ice therein. Such an ice maker is known from DE 100 62 663 C2.

The mold container of this ice maker is fixedly mounted with respect to a storage container for finished pieces of ice and is filled by a from above, through the open side, dipping into him liquid supply. When an amount of water filled in the mold vessel is frozen by the action of the Peltier element, the direction of the electric current flowing through the Peltier element is temporarily reversed, so that the Peltier element heats the mold vessel instead of cooling it. As a result, the piece of ice thaws superficially in the mold container and can be lifted out of the mold container as far as a stripping device by lifting the liquid feed device on which it is frozen. Before the piece of ice reaches the stripping device, a chute is inserted between it and the mold container, so that the ice piece, when finally stripped by the stripping device from the liquid supply device, falls onto the chute and slides thereon into a collection container for finished ice pieces.

This conventional ice maker has a considerable number of moving parts and needs space for their movements.

The object of the present invention is to provide an ice maker with a Peltier element that is simple and compact in construction and manages with a small number of moving parts.

The object is achieved according to claim 1, characterized in that the mold container itself on a frame between a position in which the opening of the freezing container is directed upward and can freeze water in the mold container, and a position is movable bar, in which the opening directed downward, so that the finished ice body, angetrie¬ ben by its own weight, can leave the mold container. Since the movement of the mold container essentially comprises a rotation, it can be carried out in a small space, in particular if an axis of rotation runs in the immediate vicinity of the mold container, preferably centrally through it.

In order to ensure a good thermal contact, the Peltier element is preferably fixedly mounted on a surface of the mold container and movable therewith.

In order to have a large cooling capacity available and to make the time required for freezing short, preferably at least one pair of Peltier elements is mounted on opposite sides of the mold container.

In order to avoid a backflow of heat from the warm side of the Peltier element to the Formbe¬ container, preferably each Peltier element is embedded in a mold container um¬ giving layer of an insulating material.

This layer is preferably arranged so that it fills a gap between the mold vessel and a heat sink, which is verbunde¬ nen with the Peltier element to deliver the waste heat from the warm side.

According to a preferred embodiment, a supply line for fresh water is passed through a wall of the mold container. This arrangement makes it possible to use the pressure of the supplied fresh water in order to expel a finished piece of ice out of the mold container.

The supply line for fresh water should also expediently open at a, remote from the opening bottom of the mold container, so that any protruding into the Zulei¬ tion projection of the ice does not hinder its dissolution.

Alternatively, it is also possible that a supply line for fresh water has a stationary mouth over the opening of the mold container in the upward position, so that between the finished piece of ice and the mouth no connection can exist, which could hinder the dissolution of the piece of ice. Preferably, the freezer container carries a rotatably suspended in the frame shaft to which a mounted in the frame motor can attack.

The ice maker according to the invention is well suited for use in a refrigerated interior of a household refrigerator due to its compact shape.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of Be¬ embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures. Show it:

1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of the ice maker according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the ice maker from FIG. 1, partially cut away; FIG.

3 shows a schematic section through another embodiment of the ice maker; and

4 shows a third embodiment of the ice maker in an analogous to FIG. 2 An¬ view.

The core of the ice maker shown in Fig. 1 is a solid aluminum block with a cylindrical recess 2, which forms a shaped body 1, each for an ice cube to be produced. The molded article 1 is coated on five sides by an insulating layer 3, e.g. surrounded by a foamed plastic. As the sectional view of FIG. 2 shows, windows are cut into the insulation layer 3 on two sides of the molded body 1 facing away from each other, which windows receive a Peltier element 4. A main side of the Peltier elements 4 is in direct contact with the surface of the molded body 1, the other side is in direct contact with a protruding into the window projection of a heat sink 5, which carries on its side facing away from the projection side a plurality of narrow ribs 6.

In order to increase the cooling capacity of the ice maker, a further pair of Peltier elements could be attached to the other two side walls and / or a single Peltier element on the underside of the molded body 1. - A -

A flexible fresh water supply line 7 opens via a central bore 8 at the bottom of the recess. 2

Two collinear shaft sections 9 are each attached to the heat sinks 5. The shaft portions 9 are each rotatably suspended in a frame of the ice maker, wherein for simplicity, only one of the shaft portions 9 a piece of a frame plate 10 and a rolling bearing 11 are shown, in which the shaft portion 9 is rotatably suspended on the frame plate 10.

The operation of the ice maker is as follows: While the molded body 1 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a metered amount of water is fed via the supply line 7 into the recess 2. At the same time, the pelleting elements 4 are supplied with a direct current (which can be conducted, for example, over the metallic waved portions 9) whose sign is chosen so that the Peltier elements 4 cool on their surface facing the shaped body 1 and on their surface Heat sink 5 facing surface heat. As a result, the content of the recess 2 freezes in a few minutes. After a fixed operating period, a control circuit (not shown) reverses the direction of the supply current through the Peltier elements 4. The time span, which may be predetermined as a function of a temperature measured by a temperature sensor arranged in the vicinity of the molded body 1, is selected such that it is sufficient for freezing the water in the recess 2. The relationship between cooling time of operation and measured temperature may be determined empirically.

As soon as the predetermined period has elapsed, the control circuit reverses the direction of the supply current of the Peltier elements 4 so that they heat the molded body 1. Thus, a thin layer of water forms on the surface of the ice in the recess 2. Along with reversing the direction of the supply current, the control circuit also actuates an electric motor 12 acting on one of the shaft sections 9 to turn the molded body 1 180 ° with the opening downward as indicated by the arrow P in FIG , The ice piece, which is easily movable as a result of the water layer between it and the molded body 1, slides out of the recess 2 and falls into a storage container 13 arranged below. A modified embodiment of the ice maker according to the invention is shown in Fig. 3 in a schematic section. Like the ice maker of Figs. 1 and 2, that of FIG. 3 comprises a solid shaped body 1 made of aluminum with a central recess 2 and two Peltier elements arranged on opposite outer sides of the shaped body 1, which are not visible in FIG. 3, since they lie outside the cutting plane.

The molded body 1 is composed of a bottom plate 17 and a hollow upper part, which is hinged to the bottom plate about an axis 15 pivotally extending along a lower edge of the upper part 18 perpendicular to the sectional plane of Fig. 3. In a position shown by solid lines, the upper part 18 rests on the Bo¬ denplatte 17, and the recess 2 is sealed by an elastomeric sealing ring 16 between the upper part 18 and bottom plate 17. The motor 12 serves to pivot the upper part 18 about the axis 15. A supply line 7 for fresh water opens through a bore 8 of the bottom plate 17 in the recess 2 of the molding. The recess 2 is tapered towards the bottom plate 17.

Again, to produce a piece of ice, a metered amount of water is first introduced into the recess 2 via the supply line 7, and the Peltier elements are supplied with electricity in order to cool the shaped body 1 and to freeze the water in the recess 2. After a sufficient period of time, the supply current of the Peltier elements 4 is inverted in order to superimpose the ice piece on the surface, and the shaped body 1 is tilted by the electric motor 12 into the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3. Since the recess 2 is also tapered down, the ice piece can not slide out of the lower opening 14 of the upper part during tilting and remain on the bottom plate 17. In the dashed position, however, the piece of ice from the recess can slide freely; since the underside of the piece of ice is exposed, a minimum thickness of the water layer between the piece of ice and the shaped body 1 after reversing the direction of the supply current of the pel elements is sufficient for this purpose.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the ice maker of Figs. 1 and 2, in which instead of a water supply through the bore 8 in the bottom of the molded body 1, a supply via a stationary over the recess 2 arranged supply line 19 is provided. Into the drilling tion 8, however, a valve 20 is inserted, which is tight in the illustrated position of the molded body 1.

If the water is frozen in the recess 2 and the molded body 1 is rotated by means of the motor 12, and the Peltier elements are switched to heating operation, thawing not only the walls of the recess 2 contacting surface of the ice piece, son¬ also the water in the valve 20 so that it can open and allow air to flow through the valve. Thus, the ice body slides easily and quickly out of the recess 2.

While in the exemplary embodiments illustrated the shaped bodies each have a single recess for producing a piece of ice, it is of course also possible to devise a modified embodiment of the invention in which the shaped body has a plurality of recesses. However, the increased number of recesses makes enlarged dimensions of the shaped body necessary. The ratio of surface area to volume decreases, and as a result, the cooling capacity that can be achieved by means of Peltier elements attached to the surface of the molding. The time required for freezing water in the recesses is therefore longer for an ice maker in which a plurality of recesses is distributed in a two-dimensional arrangement on the shaped body than for a shaped body of a single recess, on the one hand because of the unfavorable ratio of cooling power to water quantity, on the other hand, because of the increased average distance of the recesses to the Peltier elements.

Claims

claims

1. icemaker with a mold container open on one side (1) and at least one peI animal element (4) for cooling the mold container, characterized in that the mold container (1) on a frame between a position in which the opening of the mold container directed upward is, and a position in which the opening is directed downward, is movable.

2. Ice maker according to claim 1, characterized in that the Peltier element (4) is fixedly mounted on a surface of the mold container (1) and movable therewith.

3. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one pair of Peltier elements (4) on opposite sides of the mold container (1) is mounted.

4. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each Peltier element (4) in a mold container (1) surrounding the layer (3) is embedded from an insulating material.

5. Ice maker according to claim 4, characterized in that the layer (3) of insulating material fills a gap between the mold container (1) and a with the Peltier element (4) connected to the heat sink (5).

6. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a supply line (7) for fresh water through a wall of the mold container (1) is guided.

7. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a supply line (7) for fresh water at a side facing away from the opening bottom of the mold container (1) opens.

8. Ice maker according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a supply line (19) for fresh water has a fixed orifice over the opening of the mold container (1) in the upward position.

9. ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mold container (1) about a central axis extending through it (9) is pivotable.

10. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mold container (1) carries in the frame (10) rotatably suspended shaft (9).

11. Ice maker according to claim 9, characterized in that on the shaft (9) attacking motor (12) in the frame (10) is mounted.

12. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a nen under the mold container (1) arranged collecting container (13) for ice cubes.

13. Ice maker according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mold container (1) has a single recess (2) for a piece of ice.

14. Domestic refrigerating appliance with at least one cooled interior, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that in the interior of an ice maker is mounted according to one of the preceding claims.