WO2012110298A1

WO2012110298A1 - Refrigeration device with an ice maker

Info

Publication number: WO2012110298A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/051359
Authority: WO
Inventors: Cuma DÜLGER; Hans Ihle
Original assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH
Priority date: 2011-02-15
Filing date: 2012-01-27
Publication date: 2012-08-23
Also published as: DE102011004108A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a refrigeration device, in particular a domestic refrigeration device, having an ice maker (7) for producing ice cubes (69), which ice maker has an ice cube tray (10) which can be filled with fresh water in a refilling operation. According to the invention, the ice maker (7) has a unit (65) which monitors the refilling operation and generates an interruption signal (S_u) in the event of a faulty refilling operation, it being possible for the ice maker (7) to be at least partially deactivated by said interruption signal.

Description

Refrigeration unit with an icemaker

The invention relates to a refrigeration appliance, in particular domestic refrigeration appliance, with an ice maker according to the preamble of patent claim 1 and to a method for operating an ice maker according to claim 15.

Ice makers can be arranged in a designated freezer compartment of a refrigerator, such as a freezer. The ice formation can be done by means of cold air, which is generated by a switched into the refrigeration circuit evaporator and is conveyed by a circulating air blower to the icemaker.

From DE 10 2005 003 243 A1 is a generic refrigerator with a

Ice maker known for the production of ice cubes. The icemaker has an ice cube tray that can be filled with fresh water. On the bottom side of the ice cube tray a heating element is arranged. In ice making, the heating element is controlled by means of an electronic control device of the ice maker in a melting mode. In the melting mode, edge layers of the ice cubes produced in the ice cube tray are melted. The ice production of the ice maker known from DE 10 2005 003 243 A1 is based on the following procedure: First, the ice cube tray is filled with fresh water.

Then the fresh water is frozen to ice by a cold air inflow. For ice cube needs on the customer's side, the ice cube tray rotates into an ejection position where the ice cubes can fall out of the ice cube tray and into a receptacle. In order for the ice cubes to be able to detach from the ice cube tray, this becomes

Heating element operated in the above-mentioned melting mode. In the melting mode, the heating element is automatically activated at predetermined time intervals, approximately every 50 minutes, so that a perfect falling out of the ice cubes from the ice cube tray is ensured at all times.

The controller of the icemaker controls the heating element even if the ice cube tray is not filled with fresh water due to different events. Such events can be exemplary interruptions in the flow path to

Ice cube tray, about a pollution in the water inlet. Alternatively, for example, the faucet can be turned off to the fresh water supply network, whereby also the fresh water supply to the ice maker is interrupted. In this case, there is a risk that the heating element will operate in the melt mode for an indefinite period of time, although ice production due to the

Interruption of fresh water supply is not possible at all.

The object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration appliance, in particular a household refrigerating appliance, with an ice maker and a method for operating such an ice maker, which works with reduced energy consumption.

The object is solved by the features of claim 1 or claim 15. Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the icemaker on a unit that the refilling process for refilling fresh water in the

Ice cube tray monitored. If the unit detects a faulty refilling operation, the unit generates a break signal that at least partially disables the icemaker. Thus, it is guaranteed that inadequate with

Fresh water filled ice cube tray of the ice maker remains disabled, so that its energy consumption decreases.

In one embodiment, the icemaker may include a heating element thermally coupled to the ice cube tray. In ice making, the heating element can be controlled by an electronic control device in the context of a melting mode to peripheral layers of ice cubes produced in the ice cube tray

to melt. If the above-mentioned monitoring unit detects a faulty refilling operation, then at least this melting mode of the heating element is deactivated. This ensures that when not filled with fresh water

Ice tray and the heating element is no longer working in the melt mode, which over the life of the icemaker away its energy consumption is reduced on average. Since no interruption of the supply of fresh water anyway no ice production is enabled, alternatively to a deactivation of only the heating element of the entire ice maker automatically deactivated, that is switched off, are. Such a break in the supply of fresh water to the icemaker may be due to different causes. By way of example, the water feed can be contaminated.

Alternatively, the fresh water tap can also be turned off or a flow component in the fresh water supply line can be defective.

In normal operation, the ice created by cold air inflow can initially be kept in the ice cube tray until the ice already collected in the receptacle is used up by the user. If the container is emptied by the user, it will be refilled automatically. For this, the ice cube tray turns upside down in the ejection position, in which the ice cubes out of the ice cube tray in the

Collecting container can fall and thus fill this. For reasons of comfort, it is preferred if the filling of the collecting container can take place without much time delay. Preferably, therefore, the electronic control device activates the

Heating element in the melt mode at predefined intervals, approximately every 50 minutes, automatically, whereby almost permanently slightly fused edge layers of the cube tray stored in the ice cube tray are formed. The recognition unit can be realized in different ways to a

Detect interruption of the fresh water supply. According to one embodiment, the detection unit may comprise a sensor element which detects a non-filling of the ice tray with fresh water. In this case, the recognition unit may generate the aforementioned interrupt signal. However, the interruption signal can preferably only be generated when a non-filling of the ice tray is ensured for a predetermined period of time, for example one or more days.

The sensor element may preferably be arranged directly in the flow path of the fresh water. For this purpose, the flow path, starting from the faucet associated with the fresh water supply network, offers itself up to an outlet opening into the ice cube tray, via which the fresh water can flow directly into the ice tray. In order to achieve meaningful measurement results, the sensor element can be arranged directly at the outlet opening of the fresh water flow path. be net. In this case, it is preferred if the fresh water flow flowing through the outlet opening can be detected directly. According to a particularly simple variant that can also be retrofitted, the sensor element can have a light barrier, by means of which a flow of fresh water, in particular through the above-mentioned outlet opening, can be recognized.

In the above-mentioned measure for detecting an interruption of

Fresh water supply, it is necessary to integrate an additional sensor element in the ice maker. With regard to a component-reduced design, however, it is preferable to make conclusions about a possible interruption of the fresh water supply based on already recorded operating parameters of the ice maker. Thus, the control device of the ice maker is usually equipped with a temperature sensor with which an actual temperature of the ice cube tray or the fresh water collected therein is detected. The detected temperature can in the control device with a for

Ice formation required limit temperature to be compared. Only when falling below this limit temperature starts the electronic control device ice production. The temperature sensor may be provided in the bottom area of the ice cube tray.

With regard to the phase change from liquid water to ice, which takes place during the ice production, a characteristic temperature profile results, which is detected by the temperature sensor. Based on this knowledge, the detection device can detect a temperature-time profile by means of the temperature sensor. This

Temperature-time profile can be evaluated in the detection device with respect to the presence of a thermal mass consisting of the ice cube tray and the fresh water collected therein.

If the interruption of the fresh water supply has been recognized by the user, the control device can reactivate the melting mode of the heating element.

In this case, a rough estimate of the user activity is already sufficient to restart the melt mode (low sensor overhead). Thus, upon customer operation of the icemaker, the controller may automatically re-activate the melt mode. Such a customer-side actuation can be, for example, switching off and restarting the ice maker on the on / off switch. Alternatively, the customer's operation can also be a removal of the Be ice cube container from the icemaker. It is relevant here to capture a customer-side activity that suggests an at least possible error correction.

The deactivation of the heating element or of the entire ice maker can be signaled to the user acoustically or optically. For this purpose, the icemaker one or the refrigeration device may have a display unit, which indicates the interruption of the fresh water supply in the presence of an interrupt signal.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying figures will be described.

Show it:

1 is a partial sectional view of a schematic diagram of a refrigeration device.

2 shows a perspective view of an ice maker in isolation; and

Fig. 3 is a highly simplified block diagram for illustrating the

Invention.

1 shows a detail of a refrigerator with a bottom-side freezer compartment 1 and an upper compartment 3, which are separated from one another by a horizontal partition 5. The two freezing and partial spaces 1, 3 are frontally closed with a door 4. In the upper subspace 3 an ice maker 7 is provided for the production of ice pieces. For cooling the freezer compartment, an evaporator 9 is present, which is thermally coupled in FIG. 1 to the rear side of the freezer compartment 1.

In FIG. 1, the ice maker 7 has a channel-shaped ice cube tray 10 in which pieces of ice are produced in the manner described below, which can be introduced into a collecting container 13 arranged underneath. The collecting container 13 can be pulled out of the subspace 3 of the refrigerating appliance in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, the ice maker without collecting container 13 is shown. It follows that in the cavity of the trough-shaped ice cube tray 10, a pivotable ejector 15 is arranged, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis 17. Along the pivot axis 17, the ejector 15 spaced intermediate walls 19, which divide the cavity in the ice cube tray 10 in individual compartments. During ice production, the pieces of frozen ice at the intermediate walls 19 of the ejector 15 are removed from the ice cube tray 10 by a pivotal movement of the ejector.

The ejector 15 is connected at its, in Fig. 2 left side with an actuator of an electronic control device 21. Behind the electronic

Control device, a connection box 23 is provided, which can be filled via a not shown fresh water supply with tap water. The tap water can be introduced from the terminal box 23 via an inlet opening 25 in the ice bowl 10. As is further apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the ice cube tray 10 is covered on its front side by means of a scraper element 35. The wiper element 35 has wiper ribs which are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction and which partially project beyond the upper side of the ice cube tray 10. The cooling process takes place via a cold air inflow. This is generated in the freezer compartment 1 and conveyed via an indicated fan 47 into a cold air duct 49, which in turn is fluidly connected to the ice cube tray 10 via outflow openings 51. In addition, according to FIGS. 1 and 2 close to the control device 21 on the bottom side below the ice cube tray 10 an only indicated temperature sensor 63 is provided which detects an actual temperature of the ice tray 10 during ice production and passes it to the control device 21. To start up the ice maker 7, the first shown in FIG

Power button 20 of the controller 21 is pressed. To fill the ice tray 10, the fresh water cached in the water box 23 is led into the ice cube tray 10 via the feed opening 25. In it the fresh water is cooled by cold air Frozen inflow to ice. For this purpose, the control device 21 first activates the fan 47 in order to convey a stream of cold air to the ice cube tray 10. In the

Control device 21, the detected by the temperature sensor 63 actual temperature is compared with a limit temperature. Falls below the limit temperature, the electronic control device 21 starts with the ice cube production.

In the pull-out collecting container 13, the current ice cube quantity in the collecting container 13 is detected by means of a sensor 64 shown in FIG. 2. If this falls below a threshold, the control device 21 starts a drive motor to pivot the ice cube tray 10 in an ejection position. By this pivoting movement, the pieces of ice formed in the ice cube tray 10 are tilted onto the scraper 35 and slide it down into the collecting container 13.

As indicated in Fig. 1, is at the bottom of the ice cube tray 10 a

Heating element 43 is provided which is operated during the ice making by the control device 21 in a melt mode. In the melt mode, the

Heating element 43 at predetermined time intervals, approximately every 50 minutes, automatically activated by the controller 21. As a result, the marginal layers of the ice cubes produced in the ice cube tray 10 are melted. Thus, it is permanently ensured that the ejector 15 can easily pivot the pieces of ice produced in the ice cube tray 10 from the ice cube tray 10.

As can be seen from the roughly sketched block diagram of FIG. 3, the electronic control device 21 is associated with a detection unit 65, with which an interruption of the fresh water supply to the icemaker can be detected. If the unit or the program module 65 detects such a fresh water supply interruption, an interrupt signal Su is generated and passed to the control device 21. Thereafter, the control device 21 deactivates the melting mode of the heating element 43. The heating element 43 is thus put out of operation, namely for the period in which an ice production is not feasible anyway due to lack of fresh water. The control device 21 also has an LED display 66 which informs the user of the fresh water supply interruption. The detection of the fresh water supply interruption can be in different

Variations made. According to FIG. 2, an optical sensor element 67 is provided for this purpose directly on the water inlet 25, which optically detects a fresh water flow. If the optical sensor 67 determines a non-filling of the ice cube tray 10 over a predetermined period of time, such as one or more days, the unit 65 generates the above interrupt signal Su- Alternatively, or in addition, the detection means 65 with the aid of the temperature sensor 62, a temperature-time - Record and evaluate history. Due to the characteristic time behavior of water in ice making, the detection unit 65 can easily

Determine the non-filling of the ice cube tray 10.

Upon restoration of the fresh water supply, the electronic controller 21 re-activates the fusing mode of the heating element 43 so that ice production can continue. In sensortechnisch simple way can be assumed by the Nederherstellung the fresh water supply by a specific customer-side operation of the ice maker. Such operation should indicate a possible elimination of the fresh water interruption. Thus, the controller 21 can re-activate the icemaker 7 when the user turns the icemaker 7 off and on again. Alternatively, the re-activation may occur when the user removes the ice cube tray 13 from the icemaker.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 freezer room

3 subspace

4 appliance door

5 partition

7 ice makers

9 evaporator

10 ice cube tray

13 collection container

14 drive motor

15 ejector element

17 pivot axis

19 partitions

20 on / off switch

21 control device

23 water tank

25 inlet opening

35 wiper element

43 heating element

47 blowers

49 cold air duct

63 temperature sensor

64 sensor

65 detection unit

66 display means

67 sensor

69 piece of ice

Su interrupt signal

X depth direction

Claims

Refrigerating appliance, in particular household refrigerating appliance, with an ice maker (7) for

Production of ice cubes (69) which has an ice cube tray (10) which can be filled with fresh water in a refilling process, characterized in that the ice maker (7) has a unit (65) which monitors the refilling process and a faulty refilling process Interrupt signal (Su) generated with the icemaker (7) is at least partially deactivated.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the ice cube tray (10) which can be filled with fresh water is thermally coupled to a heating element (43) which in the ice production of an electronic control device (21) in a melting mode for melting edge layers in the Ice cube tray (10) generated ice cubes (69) is controllable.

Refrigeration appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the unit (65) at a faulty refilling at least the melting mode of

Heating element (43) deactivated.

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that in the presence of an interruption signal (Su) generated by the unit (65), the electronic control device (21) deactivates the entire ice maker (7).

Refrigerating appliance according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that during the melting mode, the electronic control device (21), the heating element (43) at predetermined time intervals, approximately every 50 minutes, automatically activated.

Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unit (65) has a sensor element (67) which detects a non-filling of the ice cube tray (10) with fresh water, and generates the interrupt signal (Su) when a non-filling is detected.

7. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the unit (65) generates the interrupt signal (Su) when, over a predetermined period of time, such as one or more days, a non-filling of the ice tray (10) is determined.

8. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the

Flow path of the fresh water from a fresh water supply network to an opening into the ice cube tray outlet opening (25) through which the fresh water flows directly into the ice tray (10), and that by means of the sensor element (67) a fresh water flow through the outlet opening (25) can be detected ,

9. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the sensor element (67) has a light barrier, by means of a fresh water flow is recognizable. 10. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unit (65) has a temperature sensor (62) which detects the temperature of the ice cube tray (10).

1 1. Refrigerating appliance according to claim 10, characterized in that the unit (65) by means of the temperature sensor (63) detects a temperature-time course and after successful

Evaluation of a non-filling of the ice cube tray (10) can be determined.

12. Refrigerating appliance according to one of claims 2 to 11, characterized in that by means of the electronic control device (21), the melting mode of the heating element (43) is re-activated upon restoration of the fresh water supply.

13. Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 12, characterized

in that the melting mode of operation can be reactivated by a customer-side actuation of the ice maker (7) when the heating element (43) is deactivated, for example by switching the ice maker (7) off and on at the on / off switch (20) and / or by removing an ice cube collecting container (13) from the ice maker (7). Refrigerating appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerating appliance and / or the ice maker (7) has a display unit (66) which in the presence of an interrupt signal (Su) interrupting the

Indicates fresh water supply.

Method for operating an ice maker in a refrigerator according to one of the preceding claims.