WO2011051169A2

WO2011051169A2 - Refrigeration device comprising an ice maker

Info

Publication number: WO2011051169A2
Application number: PCT/EP2010/065923
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christoph Becke; Max Eicher; Frank Eisele; Ralph Staud; Thomas Tischer
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2009-10-27
Filing date: 2010-10-22
Publication date: 2011-05-05
Also published as: CN102597662B; CN102597662A; WO2011051169A3; EP2494284B1; EP2494284A2; DE102009046031A1

Abstract

A refrigeration device, especially a domestic refrigeration device, comprises a carcass and a door, both surrounding a storage compartment, and an ice maker which is mounted in the storage compartment on a drawer that can be pulled out from the carcass.

Description

Refrigerating appliance with ice maker

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, in particular a domestic refrigerator, with a body and a door surrounding a refrigerated storage chamber, and a stored in the storage chamber ice maker. Such a refrigeration device is known for example from DE 10 2006 017 804 A1. The ice maker of this conventional refrigerator has an elongated housing, which in itself is transverse to the storage chamber

extending, attached to the body struts is suspended and extends substantially over the entire usable depth of the storage chamber. The way the icemaker is housed in the refrigerator makes it difficult to fill water by hand. However, an automatic water supply of the ice maker is complex and causes high costs.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a refrigerator with an icemaker, which is well suited for manual filling.

The object is achieved by providing in a refrigerator with a body and a door which surround a storage chamber, and housed in the storage chamber ice maker a pull-out from the body drawer is provided on which the

Ice maker is attached. By moving the iceminer together with the pull-out box, it is freely accessible when the pull-out box is pulled out and can be filled with water or ready-made ice can be removed.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the location of the icemaker is inside the pull-out box.

The icemaker can be removed from the drawer, so that when it is not used, the space occupied by it in the drawer can be made free and is available for refrigerated goods. To attach the icemaker to the drawer and possibly its

To simplify removal, a slot can be formed on the drawer, in which the icemaker positively engages. A positive engagement of the ice maker At the slot, a user can also facilitate the exercise of a force to release finished pieces of ice from the icemaker, as this is prevented by the positive connection from dodging the force.

The drawer can be divided into at least two compartments, one of which receives the icemaker. Thus, the other compartment remains available for other refrigerated goods, and there is no risk that this refrigerated goods come into contact with finished pieces of ice, the function of the icemaker disturbs or is moistened in contact with contained in the icemaker liquid water. It may also have an ejection opening of the icemaker in one of at least two

Open compartments, in which the pull-out box is divided. The ice maker itself can then be arranged in an undivided region of the pull-out box, in particular above said one compartment. When the drawer is divided in the width direction, the one compartment preferably extends to a side wall of the drawer, so that a

coherent remainder of the pull-out box remains available for storage of other refrigerated goods. In order to handle the icemaker efficiently, it is usually not necessary that this is completely free. Therefore, the drawer does not have to be completely pulled out to handle the icemaker, even if it extends over the entire depth of the drawer.

In a drawer box divided in the depth direction, however, it is preferred that the one compartment extends on a front side of the drawer to a good

To ensure accessibility of the icemaker.

A pivotable about an axis and twistable tray is preferably actuated by means of a lever. The lever facilitates a user's exercise

in particular the force required to demould finished pieces of ice by twisting on the tray.

So that the lever does not unnecessarily take up space when not in use, it is preferably adjustable between a rest position and an actuating position, wherein the distance a handle portion of the lever from the axis in the operating position is greater than in the rest position.

On the one hand to keep the structure compact and on the other hand to ensure easy accessibility of the lever, the lever can expediently engage at least in the rest position in the other compartment.

If the at least one tray of the ice maker is subdivided in a manner known per se into several compartments for the production of each piece of ice, the ice maker can expediently have at least one metering container with a calibration volume which corresponds to the common volume of the compartments or an integral fraction of this volume. Thus, by filling the dosing tank once or several times, the amount of water required to fill the compartments can be quickly and accurately measured. The dosing can be connected via at least one controllable drain with the subjects. Such a dosing can be solid, at least in normal use of the ice maker not to be removed part of the icemaker.

Preferably, the outflow is due to the position of the at least one tray

controllable, in particular by the at least one tray between a

Freezing position, in which the drain is closed, and a filling position, in which the drain is open, is pivotable about an axis. Thus, the dosing can be filled up to a calibration mark while the tray is in the freezing or any other than the filling position, and after correct filling of the dosing the tray is pivoted to the filling position to drain the contents of the dosing into the compartments ,

For controlling the drain, a valve is preferably provided with a valve seat and a closing body which is movable in contact with the at least one tray between a position sealing the valve seat and an open position. Preferably, the metering container is arranged to cover the compartments. It is particularly expedient if the metering container forms a ceiling of a housing surrounding at least one tray. Such a housing prevents the spread of water vapor from the subjects in the rest of the refrigerator and thus an undesirable frost formation outside the icemaker.

According to an alternative embodiment, the dosing can be removed from a chamber of the ice maker. Such a dosing can outside the

Ice maker, for example, at a faucet, and is, since he does not have to have the flat shape of a tray, in general, more convenient and safe to transport than a water-filled tray.

Also in this embodiment, the top of the icemaker may be substantially closed by a blanket to prevent frosting outside of the icemaker.

In order to facilitate the filling of the compartments, a basin with at least one outflow into the compartments is preferably formed in the ceiling.

In particular, the basin may be inserted into a side walls of the housing forming frame.

In order to accelerate the filling process and to minimize the likelihood of freeing the drain, it is expedient if the outflow opens into several compartments in parallel, regardless of whether the partitions between the compartments have notches which, when a desired water level in the compartments is reached connect with each other or not.

The finished pieces of ice are particularly easy and possibly accessible even without pulling out the pull-out box, if a receptacle for them (which can be accommodated in particular in said one compartment,) can be pulled out on a front side of the pull-out box. Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

1 is a perspective view of an ice maker for use in a refrigerator according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view of a tray of the ice maker of Fig. 1;

3 shows a second embodiment of the ice maker;

FIG. 4 shows a section through the ice maker of FIG. 3; FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a second section through the ice maker of FIG. 3; FIG.

6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the

ice machine;

Fig. 7 is a section through an ice maker according to a fourth

design;

8 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a first

Embodiment of the invention;

9 shows a schematic partial section of an extracting box of the refrigerating appliance shown in FIG. 8; FIG. and

10 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to a second

Embodiment of the invention.

1 shows a perspective view of an ice maker 37 for use in a refrigerator according to the invention. The ice maker 37 has a rectangular frame 39 open at the top and bottom, in which two trays 1 extend around a longitudinal direction of the tray Frame 39 extending axis 23 are pivotally suspended. The trays are shown in a horizontal position suitable for producing ice. The

Pivoting movement of the trays 1 is driven by a hand-operated lever 20 which acts on two mutually facing end faces 5 of rotatably interconnected trays. Facing away from each other end faces 5 of the trays 1 each carry a projecting in the direction of the axis 23 pin 22, the pivoting of the

Trays on inclined surfaces 48 of the frame 39 abuts. In this stop position subjects 2 of the trays 1 are swept with their open sides down, and by the lever 20 defined by the protrusions 22 and the inclined surfaces 48

Stop position is pivoted out, the trays 1 are wound in itself, the compartments 2 are deformed, and pieces of ice formed in them are pushed out and fall over the open bottom of the frame 39 out of the icemaker.

2 shows an enlarged partial view of one of the one-piece injection-molded from a moderately elastic plastic tray 1. The tray 1 comprises in a conventional manner, two rows of integrally interconnected compartments 2. The upper edges of

Partitions, which extend between adjacent compartments 2, each have at their crossing points or at their ends upwardly open notches 4. To facilitate the release of the finished pieces of ice from the compartments 2, these are in their

Inside free of sharp edges and have a continuously decreasing cross-section downwards. The intermediate walls 3 and end and longitudinal sides 5, 6 each pass over continuously curved sections 7 in bottom surfaces 8 of the compartments 2.

The slope of the end walls 5 increases continuously from top to bottom, and at least above the intermediate walls 3, the side walls 5 extend vertically. The longitudinal walls 6, however, are divided vertically into three successive sections. In a lower portion 9 takes as in the case of the end walls 5 the

Wall slope from bottom to top continuously to. It reaches its highest value at a height of the notch 4 extending horizontal edge 10. Above this edge 10 is followed by a middle portion 1 1, which is less steep than that

adjacent lower wall section 9. The middle section 11 and an upper section 12 merge into one another via a continuous curvature. In the upper portion 12, the longitudinal wall is similar steep as in its lower portion 9; it may even, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, overhang inwards. Since the ice maker tray 1 is made of an elastic plastic, the overhang of the portions 12 does not affect the ability to manufacture the tray 1 as a molded part. A one-piece mold used for molding the inner surfaces of the tray 1 may be forcibly demolded after injection molding with elastic deformation of the portions 12. The cross-sectional shape of the longitudinal walls 6 serves to protect against overflow and splashing of water, if the tray 1 is exposed to an acting transversely to the longitudinal walls 6 acceleration. If such in Fig. 2 as arrow a shown

Acceleration on the tray 1, collected in the compartments 2 contained water on the side facing away from the viewer longitudinal wall 6. By first there meets the relatively weak rising middle section 1 1, it is not abruptly delayed, but continuously deflected upward. This reduces the risk of splashing. If the acceleration of the tray 1 is so strong that the rising water on the rear side wall 6 rises above its upper edge, it gets through the overhang of the upper portion 12 a forward, back to the compartments 2 of the tray 1 impulse, so that if the acceleration is only a short time, it falls back into a compartment 2 instead of overcoming the longitudinal wall 6.

The combined height of middle and upper sections 11 and 12, which provides effective protection against spilling, depends on the accelerations to which the tray is exposed during operation and the duration of its impact; in practice it is between one third and two thirds of the height of the lower section 9.

FIG. 3 shows a first development of the ice maker 37 from FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the development. The walls of the frame 39 are extended here in comparison to those of FIG. 1 upwards to accommodate two metering 49 positively, among which the trays 1 are completely hidden. The metering containers 49 are provided with calibration marks 50 which mark an upper and lower limit of a permissible water level in the metering container 49. The calibration marks 50 are set so that the amount of water defined by them is sufficient to fill the compartments 2 of the respectively underlying tray 1 so far that the respective deepest points of the notches 4, but not the upper edges of the intermediate walls 3 are flooded.

A normally closed drainage opening 51 extends in a slot shape in the longitudinal direction of the frame 39 over a series of compartments 2 of the tray 1 Outflow 51 is opened, thus all these compartments 2 are filled at the same time, and as soon as they are full, filled with the notches 4 overflowing water and the other compartments 2 of the tray. 1

FIG. 4 shows a section through the ice maker 37 of FIG. 3 in a plane parallel to an end wall of the frame 39 and passing through one of the trays 1 and the drain 51 of the overlying dosing container 49. A plate-shaped, across the

4 slotted closing body 52 is slidably guided in a tightly closing gap 53 at the bottom of the dosing 49 and is located on a drain 51 surrounding the valve seat of the dosing 49 tightly. A lower end of the closing body 52 is supported on the upper edge of a longitudinal wall 6 of the tray 1. To ensure that the closing body 52 does not slip off the longitudinal wall 6, between both a play-containing tongue and groove engagement, here in the form of a top edge of the Longitudinal wall 6 encompassing groove 54 of the closing body 52 may be formed. The ice maker tray 1 is pivotally suspended in the frame 39 about an axis 23 extending in its longitudinal direction. 4, the upper edges of the side walls 5, 6 and the intermediate walls 3 are horizontal, and the slot 55 of the closing body 52 does not overlap with the drain 51. By a user after filling one or both metering 49 presses the closing body 52 opposite longitudinal wall 6 down, the tray 1 pivots in a filling position shown as a dashed outline, in which the closing body 52 is shifted so far up that its slot 55th overlaps with the drain 51. In this position, the water flows from the metering 49 into the compartments 2. Due to the large length of the drain 51 transverse to the sectional plane of FIG. 4, frozen drops can not completely block the drain 51. A resulting from the eventual presence of such drops uneven distribution of the effluent water has no effect, as on the notches 4, a balance of the water level between all compartments 2 takes place. Fig. 5 shows a section through the ice maker 37 of FIG. 4 along a to a

Narrow side of the frame 39 parallel, extending through the lever 20 receiving gap extending plane. You can see the pivot axis 23 through which the two trays 1 are rigidly connected together, and a second, parallel to the axis 23, the trays 1 connecting axis 25 about which the lever 20 is pivotable. When the lever 20 is pivoted about the axis 25 in a clockwise direction, a projection 28 of the lever 20 abuts against a web 29 extending between the two trays 1. In this position, the distance between a handle portion 27 at the end of the lever 20 and the axis 23 is greater than in the drawn as a solid outline rest position of the lever, in which it hangs freely on a longitudinal wall of the frame 39, so that a larger torque are applied can.

A further pivoting of the lever 20 is possible from this stop position only together with the trays 1 about the axis 23. The pivoting freedom of the trays 1 in turn is limited as in the case of FIG. 1 by pins 22 which protrude from the lever 20 facing away from end faces 5 of the trays 1 and in a position shown in Fig. 5 as a dashed outline position from above against inclined surfaces 48 strike the two narrow sides of the frame 39. If the lever 20 is pressed beyond this position, this leads to a distortion of the trays 1, whereby the compartments 2 warp and the pieces of ice contained therein are pressed out. The contact of the lever 20 with a longitudinal wall of the frame 39 or, in the case shown in Fig. 5, with a buffer 38 mounted in a gap 36 (see Fig. 3) between the metering tanks 49 limits the possible distortion of the trays 1 and prevents permanent deformation.

6 shows a perspective view of an ice maker 37 according to a third embodiment. The trays 1, their suspension in the frame 39 and the manner of their operation by means of the lever 20 is the same as in the first two

Configurations. At a head end of the frame 39 is a tray 60 for a

Dosing 61 recessed. The dosing container 61 can be placed in the compartment 60 with sufficient play in order to be able to easily detach and remove it from the compartment 61 even when it is selectively frozen thereon. The dosing 61 is with

Calibration marks 50 provided that correspond to the target filling amount of each of the trays 1. By a single emptying of the dosing container 61 in a tray 1 this is therefore completely filled. In order to reduce the space requirement of the ice maker, a smaller compartment 60 and in the compartment 60 a metering container 61 could be provided with half the calibration volume, which would have to be emptied twice in a tray 1, to fill this completely; because of the extra work for the user, this variant is not preferred.

Fig. 7 shows a cross-section through a further developed embodiment of the ice maker 37 of Fig. 6. At a distance from the tray 1, which is large enough to the

Not to hinder pivotal movement in the demolding shown in turn dashed outline, a lid 62 is inserted with a basin-like recess 63 from above into the frame 39. The basin-like depression 63, like the dosing vessel 49 of FIG. 3, has a drain 51 in the form of an elongated slot extending over a series of compartments 2. By the drain 51 is placed so that it can dehydrate only in the compartments 2, it is impossible that water is spilled during filling and freezes in a place where it obstructs the pivoting movement of the tray 1. In addition, the lid 62 prevents the escape of moisture from the icemaker and thus limits the formation of frost in a surrounding the icemaker interior of the refrigerator.

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a refrigerator body 41 with an ice maker 37. Shown is the ice maker of Fig. 7; every other one described above

Design can be used in its place. An extract box 40 is shown in a largely out of the body 41 position. A extending in the width direction of the pull-out box rear wall 46 whose height is less than that of the outer walls of the pull-out box 40 divides the pull-out box 40 in a front compartment 42 of relatively shallow depth and a lying behind main compartment 47. Width and depth of the tray 42 correspond to Dimensions of the frame 39 of the ice maker 37. From the walls of the tray 42 inwardly projecting narrow horizontal webs 43 support the frame 39 so that the top of

Ice maker 37 flush with the upper edges of the outer walls of the tray 42. Below the webs 43 is a collection container for finished pieces of ice in the form of a

Drawer 45 is arranged, which can be pulled out of the latter on the front side of the pull-out box 40. In order to use the ice maker, it is sufficient to pull it out so far that the dosing 61 can be removed to fill with this the two trays 1 and push the drawer again to let the water in the trays 1 freeze. After freezing the water, the lever 20

swung up and brought forward. The resulting from the resulting distortion of the trays. 1 ejected pieces of ice fall into the drawer 45 and can be removed via this.

Since the pull-out box 40 does not have to be pulled out further than the rear wall 46 of the front compartment 42 for filling, the main compartment 47 located behind it remains protected against the entry of warm and moist outside air.

As shown in Fig. 8, the rear wall 16 does not extend over the webs 43, the frame 39 expediently at its lower edge stages 70, as indicated in Fig. 9, so that the ice maker 37 in an enclosed by the webs 43 opening 44 of the tray 42 can engage positively.

If the icemaker 37 is not used and is removed from the drawer 40, an insert 67 can be placed in its place on the top edge of the back wall 46 and the webs 43, as shown in FIG. The insert 67 has a bottom plate 66, which the compartment 42 with the drawer 45 contained therein by the absence of the

Eisbereiters 37 enlarged main compartment 47 separates. Two downwardly projecting webs 68 engage the insert 67 on the rear wall 46 so that it can not slip off a web 43 located opposite the rear wall 46. An upwardly projecting web 69 may be provided on the insert 67 to prevent deposited on the bottom plate 66 small-sized items to be cooled down when pulling the pull-out box 40 over the rear edge of the bottom plate.

An alternative embodiment of a refrigerator with an ice maker 37 mounted in an extract box 40 is shown in FIG. Here, the ice maker 37 is accommodated on a compartment 42 partitioned off on a longitudinal side of an extraction box 40, and under the ice maker 37 extends in the compartment 42 a narrow but deep drawer 45 for collecting the finished ice.

Although the frame 39 of the ice maker 37 and the receiving compartment 42 per se are rectangular, the icemaker is positionable on the tray 42 only in one orientation, with the lever 20 engaging the main compartment 47. In this orientation, the metering container 61 is located directly on the front edge of the pull-out box 40, so that the latter are pulled out so far only to remove the metering container 61 must that the dosing 61 is exposed. To fill the trays 1 of the ice maker 37, the drawer 40 need not be completely pulled out; it is sufficient to pull it out so far that each lying on a tray 1 wells 63 of the lid 62 are far enough free to comfortably water

infuse.

In an ice maker with two trays 1, as shown in Fig. 10, the drawer 40 must be pulled out by much more than half its depth to fill the rear tray 1 can. To the required for filling displacement of

It can therefore be useful in the embodiment of Fig. 10 with elongated in the depth direction ice maker expedient to equip the ice maker 37 with a single instead of two trays 1 and the lever 20 for

Pivoting and twisting of the tray 1 at the adjacent to the compartment 60 of the dosing 61 narrow side wall 5 of this tray 1 to install. Again, the icemaker is interchangeable with an insert 67. The shape of this insert 67 is the same as described above with respect to FIGS. 11 and 12.

Claims

Refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with a body (41) and a door which surrounds a storage chamber and an ice maker (37) accommodated in the storage chamber, characterized in that the ice maker (37) pulls out of the body (41) pull-out box (40) is attached.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the ice maker (37) from the drawer (40) can be removed.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that on the

Drawer (40) a slot is formed, into which the icemaker (37)

positively engages.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pull-out box (40) is divided into at least two compartments (42, 47), one of which receives the ice maker.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an ejection opening of the ice maker (37) in one (42) of at least two compartments (42, 47) opens, in which the drawer (40) is divided.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the pull-out box (40) is divided in the width direction and the one compartment (42) extends on a side wall of the pull-out box (40).

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the pull-out box (40) is subdivided in the depth direction and that a compartment (42) extends on a front side of the pull-out box (40).

8. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ice maker (37) comprises at least one means of a lever (20) about an axis (23) pivotable and twistable tray (1).

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8, characterized in that the lever (20) between an inoperative position and an actuating position is adjustable, wherein the distance of a handle portion (27) of the lever (20) from the axis (23) in the

Actuating position is greater than in the rest position.

10. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 8 or 9, as far as to one of claims 5 to 7

rear-facing, characterized in that the lever (20) engages at least in a rest position in the other compartment (47).

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the at least one tray (1) in a plurality of compartments (2) for the production of each one

Ice piece is divided and the ice maker at least one metering container (49; 61) having a calibration volume corresponding to the common volume of the compartments (2) or an integral fraction of this volume.

12. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the metering container (49) via at least one controllable outflow (51) with the subjects (2) is connected.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12, characterized in that the outflow (51) by the position of the at least one tray (1) is controllable.

14. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the at least one tray (1) between a freezing position, in which the outflow (51) is closed, and a filling position, in which the outflow (51) is open to a Axis (23) is pivotable.

15. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the outflow (51) has a valve with a valve seat and a closing body (52), the is movable in contact with the at least one tray (1) between a sealing position on the valve seat and an open position.

6. ice maker according to claim 1 1, characterized in that the metering container (61) from a chamber (60) of the ice maker is removable.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a collecting container for pieces of ice out of the drawer is removed.

18. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that a collecting container for pieces of ice on a front side of the pull-out box can be pulled out.