WO2010052656A2

WO2010052656A2 - The refrigerator and its operating method

Info

Publication number: WO2010052656A2
Application number: PCT/IB2009/054902
Authority: WO
Inventors: 柏玉发; 鲁松涛
Original assignee: Bsh博世和西门子家用器具有限公司
Priority date: 2008-11-09
Filing date: 2009-11-04
Publication date: 2010-05-14
Also published as: CN101738045A; WO2010052656A3; PL2357436T3; RU2011120273A; CN104764267B; CN104764267A; EP2357436A2; EP2357436B1

Abstract

An operation method of a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator comprises a storage space, an ice container (3) in the storage space (2), a dispensing apparatus (4) for dispensing ice from the ice container (4) to outside of the storage space (2), the dispensing apparatus being configured to dispense at least two types of ice; and a switch (5,6) for selecting the type of ice to be dispensed, characterized in that the method comprising: when the switch (5,6)is activated, the dispenser apparatus (4) dispenses the type of ice selected by the actuation of the switch (5,6), responsive to actuation of the switch (5,6).

Description

Refrigerator and working method thereof

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a refrigerator and a method of operating the same, and more particularly to a refrigerator having a dispenser and a method of operating the same.

Say

[Background Purchasing Refrigerators are known to provide dispensers for dispensing ice and water. The dispenser has an ice delivery passage through the refrigerator door and an ice supply valve for opening or closing. To meet consumer demand, dispensers typically provide two types of ice, such as ice cubes and crushed ice obtained by crushing ice cubes. In the prior art, for example, in the refrigerator disclosed in US 2006/0144075 A1, the book control panel is provided with a button for selecting the type of ice to be dispensed and a start button for opening the ice supply valve. In use, the user first selects the type of ice to be dispensed by operating the button, after which the user needs to assign the corresponding type of ice after the start button is operated. Therefore, the dispenser needs to be configured with two different function switches and the ice distribution requires two steps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome at least one of the above problems of the prior art, which makes it possible to make the operation of the refrigerator easier and the components thereof can be reduced. An aspect of the invention relates to a method of operating a refrigerator, wherein the refrigerator includes: a storage space, an ice storage container located in the storage space, and a distribution device for distributing ice from the ice storage container to a storage space, wherein The dispensing device is configured to be capable of dispensing at least two types of ice, the refrigerator further comprising a switch for selecting a type of ice to be supplied, wherein the method comprises: when the switch is operated, The dispensing device assigns a selection of ice by operating the switch in response to operation of the switch. Thus, the operation of selecting only one type of ice and the assignment of the selected type of ice can be achieved by simply operating one switch, which not only simplifies the operation, but also reduces the components of the dispenser and contributes to cost savings. Other features which are considered to be characteristic of the invention, alone or in combination with other features, are set forth in the appended claims. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises: in response to the operation of the switch, turning on a motor for driving an ice discharging device that discharges ice out of the ice storage container. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes: opening a door member for opening or closing an ice delivery channel in response to operation of the switch. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes: in response to the operation of the switch, turning on a motor for driving the ice discharging device that discharges the ice out of the ice storage container and opening the ice conveying passage for opening or closing a door element, wherein the step of opening the door element is preceded by the step of turning on the motor. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least two kinds of ice comprise ice cubes and crushed ice obtained by crushing ice cubes by a crushing device, and the ice crushing device operates when a switch corresponding to the distribution of crushed ice is operated. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerator includes a water distribution switch for selecting a supply water, the distribution device includes a water supply valve for regulating the distribution of water, and when the water distribution switch is operated, the water supply valve is Open to supply water. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in response to the operation of the switch, the illumination means for illuminating the dispensing chamber is switched on. Another aspect of the invention relates to a refrigerator including a storage space, an ice storage container located in the storage space, a dispensing device for distributing ice from the ice storage container to a storage space, the dispensing device being configured to be a switch for dispensing at least two types of ice for selecting the type of ice to be supplied, and a control unit coupled to the switch, characterized in that the control unit is arranged to perform the method of any of the preceding claims method. In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing device includes a dispensing chamber for receiving an outer container, the switch being located outside of the dispensing chamber. This not only facilitates user operation, but also effectively prevents erroneous operations on the switch when the outer container is placed in the dispensing chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the switch is an automatic reset switch, so that the user can control the amount of dispensing according to different needs, while avoiding the situation that the dispenser distributes ice or water outward when unmanned. The construction of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be more apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments.

[Description of the Drawings]

The following drawings illustrate the specific embodiments of the invention, and are in the 1 is a schematic perspective view of a refrigerator book in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a layout view of a control panel in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic view showing the configuration of a refrigerator in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Specific implementation force type]

Referring to the drawings, and in particular, first to Figs. 1 and 2. The refrigerator 1 includes a case 15. In the present embodiment, the case 15 defines a freezer compartment 2 and a refrigerating compartment (not shown) which are arranged side by side. The refrigerator 1 includes doors 16 corresponding to the freezing compartment 2 and the refrigerating compartment, respectively. The door 16 is pivotally coupled to one side of the casing 15 via a hinge 14 and is rotatable about a rotational axis parallel to the longitudinal axis. Under normal circumstances, the door 16 is closed to prevent cold air from leaving the freezing compartment 2 and the refrigerating compartment. When necessary, the user can open the corresponding door 16 to perform an operation such as taking out food from the freezing compartment 2 or the refrigerating compartment. The user can open and close the door 16 through the handle 18.

In the present embodiment, a door 16 causes the freezing compartment 2 and the refrigerating compartment to be fully opened or completely closed. It should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but other embodiments are possible. For example, in an alternate implementation, one storage compartment is opened or closed by two doors 16, that is, one door 16 only opens or closes a portion of such a storage compartment. An ice maker 17 and an ice storage unit 19 are provided in the freezing compartment 2. The ice maker 17 has a receiving groove for holding water, and the water in the storage tank is made of ice and has a shape corresponding to the receiving groove. The ice storage unit 19 includes an ice storage container 3 for receiving and holding ice made by the ice maker 17. The bottom end of the ice storage unit 19 is provided with a discharge port 20 for discharging ice. The ice storage unit 19 includes an ice discharging device 8 for pushing ice toward the discharge port 20 and a first motor 9 for driving the ice discharging device 8. In the present embodiment, the ice discharging device 8 is realized by an auger 28 located in the ice storage container 3. The auger 28 pushes the ice forward toward the discharge port 20 under the driving of the first motor 9. The ice storage unit 19 includes a crushing ice chamber 27 that communicates with the ice storage container 3. The crushing ice chamber 27 is located in front of the ice storage container 3. The discharge port 20 is disposed on the bottom wall of the ice crushing chamber 27, so that the front wall of the ice storage container 3 and the discharge book

An ice routing path within the ice breaking chamber 27 is formed between the ports 20. The crushing ice chamber 27 has a crushing ice device 25 for crushing or crushing the ice cubes, and when the ice breaking device 25 is activated, the ice cubes from the ice storage container 3 are crushed in the crushing ice chamber 27. The ice breaking device 25 includes a crushing ice blade 26 attached to the end of the auger 28 and a rotor 29 that cooperates with the ice breaking blade 26. When the auger 28 rotates, the ice-crushing blade 26 rotates as the auger 28 rotates. In the present embodiment, the activation of the ice breaking device 25 is determined by the moving piece 29. The moving piece 29 is substantially curved and disposed along the crushing blade 26. The moving piece 29 is movable in the first position and the second position. In the first position, the moving piece 29 is away from the ice-crushing blade 28, and the size of the ice-discharging path is maintained at a size that allows the ice to pass smoothly. In the second position, the moving piece 29 is adjacent to the ice-crushing blade 26 and extends into the ice-discharging path to block the passage of larger-sized ice pieces, which are thus crushed by the ice-crushing blade 26 and the moving piece 29 before being discharged from the ice storage unit 19. crush. The crushed ice is discharged to the ice storage unit 19 through the reduced ice discharge path. A dispenser 4 is provided on a door 16 of the refrigerator 1, so that the user can obtain the ice stored in the ice storage container 3 without opening the door 16. In the present embodiment, the dispenser 4 is also arranged to dispense water stored in a water tank in the refrigerating compartment. In the present embodiment, the dispenser 4 is disposed at the door 16 corresponding to the freezing compartment 2. It is also possible to arrange the dispenser 4 in a door corresponding to the refrigerating compartment by a reasonable arrangement. The dispenser 4 includes an ice delivery channel 23 that penetrates the door 16. One end of the ice conveying passage 23 communicates with the discharge port 20 of the ice storage unit 19, and the other end communicates with the distribution chamber 13. The dispensing chamber 13 is exposed to the front surface of the door 16 and is configured to receive at least a portion of an outer container, such as a cup. In the present embodiment, the dispensing chamber 13 is recessed from the front surface of the door 16 rearward by a certain arc to a predetermined depth. The upper wall of the dispensing chamber 13 is provided with a lighting device 12 for illuminating the dispensing chamber 13.

A door member 7 for opening or closing the ice conveying passage 23 is provided in the ice conveying passage 23. The door member 7 is rotatable between a closed position and an open position. The door member 7 is normally in the closed position to close the ice delivery passage 23, thereby preventing outside air from entering the freezing chamber 2 through the ice delivery passage 23. When the door member 7 is in the open position, the ice delivery channel 23 is opened to allow ice or crushed ice to pass. In the present embodiment, the door member 7 is rotated by the second motor 24 located near the door member 7. Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 1, the refrigerator 1 includes a control panel 22 disposed on the door 3. The control panel 22 is disposed immediately above the dispensing chamber 13. A printed circuit board (not shown) is provided behind the control panel 22. The control panel 22 includes a display screen 21 and a plurality of switches 5, 6, 10, 30 arranged side by side to control the dispenser 4. The switches 5, 6, 10, 30 are connected to the printed circuit board. The display screen 21 can display information such as the status of the refrigerator 1 and/or selectable parameters. The switches 5, 6, 10, 30 are located below the display screen 21 so as to be closer to the dispensing chamber 13 than the display screen 21. In the present embodiment, these switches 5, 6, 10, 30 are touch switches. The ice distribution switch 5 and the crushed ice distribution switch 6 are respectively provided to supply ice cubes and crushed ice. In order for the user to correctly select the type of ice to be dispensed, the control panel 22 is provided with a first mark 31 and a second mark 32 respectively corresponding to the ice distribution switch 5 and the crushed ice distribution switch 6. The first marker 31 and the second marker 32 characterize the type of ice that corresponds. In the present embodiment, the first marker 31 and the second marker 32 are disposed on the touch area corresponding to the ice distribution switch 5 and the crushed ice distribution switch 6. A water distribution switch 10 is provided to supply water. A third mark 33 for characterizing water is provided on the touch area of the corresponding water distribution switch 10. For controlling the illumination of the illumination device 12 for illuminating the distribution chamber 13 The shutoff 30 is located next to the water distribution switch 10. The lighting switch 30 is also provided with a corresponding identification (not shown). In the present embodiment, the first, second and third indicia 31, 32, 33 are text, however in other embodiments, for example, a logo or a combination of pattern and text may be employed. These markings are also not limited to being disposed on corresponding switches. In other embodiments, these markings may also be placed next to the corresponding switches, even directly characterized by the shape of the switches. Fig. 4 shows a schematic configuration of a refrigerator 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 4, the refrigerator 1 includes a control unit 34 adapted to control the dispensing system. Control unit 34 includes a microprocessor. The ice distribution switch 5, the crushing ice distribution switch 6, the water distribution switch book 10, and the illumination switch 30 are electrically connected to the input ends of the control unit 34, respectively. The output of the control unit 34 is connected to the first motor 9, the second motor 24, the ice breaking device 25, and the illumination device 12. The control unit 34 controls the respective members based on the inputs of the ice distribution switch 5, the crushing ice distribution switch 6, and the water distribution switch 10. When the ice distribution switch 5 is operated, the ice distribution switch 5 generates a first supply signal si and transmits it to the control unit 34. The control unit 34 turns on the first motor 9 and the second motor 24 in response to the first supply signal. The door member 24 opens the ice delivery passage 23 under the drive of the first motor 24 and remains in the open position. The auger 28 is rotated by the first motor 9 to push the ice cubes toward the ice crushing chamber 27, and the ice cubes are discharged through the discharge port 20 to the ice conveying passage 23 on the door 16, and are discharged to the outside in the dispensing chamber 13. Inside the container. When the ice distribution switch 5 is turned off, the control unit 34 turns off the first motor 9 and the second motor 24, thereby stopping the ice pushing action and closing the ice conveying path 23.

When the crushed ice distribution switch 6 is operated, the crushed ice distribution switch 6 generates a second supply signal and transmits it to the control unit 34. The control unit 34 turns on the first motor 9 and the second motor 24 in response to the second supply signal. In this process, the moving piece 29 is also moved to the second position in response to the operation of the crushing ice distribution switch 6 to activate the ice breaking device 25, and the ice piece is crushed in the crushing ice chamber 27. The crushed ice enters the ice delivery passage 23 from the discharge port 20 and is discharged to the distribution chamber 13. When the user stops operating the crushing ice distribution switch 6, the first motor 9, the second motor 24 is turned off, the rotor 29 is returned to the first position, and the door member 7 closes the ice conveying path 23. Preferably, during ice or crushed ice dispensing, the second motor 24 is activated prior to the first motor 9 to ensure that the ice delivery channel 23 has been opened before the ice is expelled. Preferably, the first motor 9 is disconnected prior to the second motor 24, thereby ensuring that ice discharged from the ice storage unit 19 can be discharged unimpeded into the dispensing chamber 13. When the water supply switch 10 is operated, the water supply switch 10 generates a third supply signal. The control unit 34 receives the third distribution signal and opens a water supply valve 1 1 for controlling the distribution of water based on the third distribution signal to dispense water. In the present embodiment, the ice distribution switch 5, the crushed ice distribution switch 6 and the water supply switch 10 are all automatically reset switches, which are in an operating state under the action of an external force, and the external force disappears automatically. Therefore, according to the refrigerator 1 of the present embodiment, when the user needs to obtain ice or water through the dispensing device 4, the user needs to operate the ice dispensing switch 5, the crushing ice distribution switch 6 or the water supply switch 10 all the time until the user obtains enough ice or water. . When the user stops operating the ice or water distribution switch 5, 6, 10, the corresponding dispensing behavior stops. When the illumination switch 30 is turned on, the illumination device 12 for illuminating the dispensing chamber 13 is turned "on". The light switch 30 is preferably a switch without automatic reset, so that after the light switch 30 is turned on, the lighting device 12 operates until the light switch 30 is turned off by the user. Preferably, the illumination device operates when the ice distribution switch 5, the crushed ice distribution switch 6, or the water distribution switch 10 is turned on, regardless of whether the illumination switch 30 is turned "on" or not. This facilitates the user to observe the amount of ice or water that has been dispensed to better control the ice or water distribution switch. Preferably, the illuminating device is operated for a predetermined time (e.g., 15 seconds) after the ice or water distribution is completed. List of drawings

1 refrigerator

2 freezer

3 ice storage container

4 distributor Description Book ice distribution switch

Crushed ice distribution switch

Door component

Ice discharging device

First motor

Water distribution switch

Water supply valve

Lighting device

Distribution chamber

Hinge

Box

door

Ice maker

Handle

Ice storage unit

Ice exit

Display

control panel

Ice conveying channel

Second motor

Ice crusher

Broken ice blade Description

Auger

Moving piece

lighting switch

First identifier

Second logo

Third identifier

control unit

Claims

A working method of a refrigerator, the refrigerator (1) comprising a storage space (2), an ice storage container (3) located in the storage space (2), and storage from the ice storage container (3) Space (2) a distribution device (4) for distributing ice outside, wherein the dispensing device (4) is arranged to be capable of dispensing at least two types of ice, and the refrigerator (1) further includes a type for selecting ice to be supplied Switch (5, 6), characterized in that the method comprises: when the switch (5, 6) is operated, the dispensing device

(4) In response to the operation of the switches (5, 6), the type of ice is selected by operating the switches (5, 6).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that in response to the operation of the switch (5, 6), the ice discharging device (8) for driving the ice out of the ice storage container (3) is switched on Motor (9).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in response to the operation of the switch (5, 6), a door element (7) for opening or closing the ice conveying channel (23) is opened.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in response to the operation of the switch (5, 6), the ice discharging device (8) for driving the ice to discharge the ice storage container (3) is turned on a motor (9) and opening a door member (7) for opening or closing the ice conveying passage (23), wherein the opening door member

The step of (7) is performed prior to the step of turning on the motor (9).

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two types of ice comprise ice cubes and crushed ice obtained by crushing ice cubes by means of a crushing device (25), when correspondingly crushed ice is dispensed When the switch (6) is operated, the ice crusher (25) operates.

6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerator comprises a water distribution switch (10) for selecting a supply of water, the dispensing device (4) comprising a water supply valve for regulating the distribution of water

(11), when the water distribution switch (10) is operated, the water supply valve (11) is opened to supply water.

Claims

7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that in response to the operation of the switch (5, 6), the illumination device (12) for illuminating the dispensing chamber is switched on.

8. A refrigerator (1), including

Storage space (2),

An ice storage container (3) located in the storage space (2),

Dispensing means (4) for distributing ice from the ice storage container (3) to the storage space (2), the distribution device (4) being arranged to dispense at least two types of ice,

a switch (5, 6) for selecting the type of ice to be supplied, and

A control unit (34) coupled to the switch (5, 6), characterized in that the control unit (34) is arranged to carry out the method according to any of the preceding claims.

9. The refrigerator (1) according to claim 8, wherein the dispensing device (4) comprises a dispensing chamber (13) for receiving an external container, the switch (5, 6) being located Distribution chamber

(13) Outside.

The refrigerator (1) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the switch (5, 6) is an automatic reset switch.