WO2018041524A1

WO2018041524A1 - A refrigerator having an ice making unit

Info

Publication number: WO2018041524A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/069768
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serdar Kocaturk; Sabahattin Hocaoglu; Samet AKAN; Umutcan Salih ERYILMAZ; Cetin USLU; Mert Can TASKIN
Original assignee: Arcelik Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2016-09-02
Filing date: 2017-08-04
Publication date: 2018-03-08
Also published as: TR201612420A2

Abstract

A refrigerator (1) comprising a cabin (2); at least one freezing compartment (3) that is disposed in the cabin (2) and wherein the food products to be frozen are placed, and an ice making unit (8) that is disposed in the freezing compartment (3) and that has at least one ice tray (5) with more than one cell (4) wherein water is put to form ice pieces, a body (6) wherein the ice tray (5) is placed and a casing (7) wherein the body (6) is disposed; wherein the body (6) almost completely covers the ice tray (5), at least one heater (9) is disposed between the casing (7) and the body (6), and at least one fan (10) is disposed on the body (6) and enables the air heated by the heater (9) to be blown into the body (6).

Description

A REFRIGERATOR HAVING AN ICE MAKING UNIT

The present invention relates to a refrigerator that comprises an ice making unit that provides the generation of clear ice pieces.

In the ice making units used in refrigerators, ice pieces are obtained generally by freezing the mains water. Mains water typically contains impurities such as air bubbles, dust, chloride, minerals and foreign particles. This type of impurities in the frozen water cause development of a foggy appearance in the ice pieces and cause the user experience to be adversely affected in visual terms. Moreover, due to the gasses dissolving in the water, the ice also causes the taste and odor of the food to change. In the state of the art, there are various methods for obtaining clear ice, such as shaking the ice tray to provide the separation of the gasses from the water, fractional freezing, freezing from center to outside, vacuuming, etc. However, the said methods cause difficulties in practice and are found impractical by the users since they cause the freezing time to be prolonged excessively. Therefore, the need for a refrigerator having an ice making unit wherein ice pieces with high clarity can be obtained easily and in optimum time arises.

In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No. JPH0611219, it is disclosed that a heater that prevents the top surface of the ice-water mixture from freezing is disposed on the lower surface of a cover covering the ice tray. Thus, the gasses can be removed from the top surface of the ice that freezes last. However, in this embodiment, the freezing time prolongs and loss of mass occurs due to the evaporation of the water since the ice pieces are exposed to direct thermal radiation.

In the state of the art European Patent Application No. EP2743611, a refrigerator that enables the water in the ice tray to be frozen from the bottom toward the top by delivering hot air received from the outer environment or a refrigeration compartment onto the ice tray is disclosed. However, in this embodiment, the varying temperature of the air from the outer environment causes the freezing process to take place in an uncontrolled manner and rapid temperature changes affect the degree of clarity to a great extent.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a refrigerator having an ice making unit that provides the generation of ice pieces with high degree of clarity.

The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claims thereof, comprises a cabin; a freezing compartment that is disposed in the cabin; a casing that is disposed in the freezing compartment; a body that is disposed in the casing and wherein the freezing process is performed, and an ice making unit that is disposed in the body and that has at least one ice tray whereon more than one cell wherein water is filled is disposed.

The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a body that almost completely covers the ice tray, at least one heater that is positioned between the casing and the body, and at least one fan that enables the air passing over the heater to be circulated in the body. The fan sucks the air over the ice tray and sends the same to the heater and blows the heated air back to the body and thus enables the heat carried from the heater to be dissipated in the body. Thus, the water in the cells is prevented from being exposed to direct thermal radiation, and by providing an independent hot air circulation over the ice tray, a controlled temperature difference between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray is created. Consequently, the ice making process is efficiently performed and each of the ice pieces can be produced with the same degree of clarity and in the same time period.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one support is provided, that extends from the inner surface of the body toward the ice tray and that provides a separate volume in the body remaining on the upper side of the ice tray by bearing against the edge of the ice tray. Thus, the base and the top surface of the ice tray are separated from each other, and by creating an efficient temperature difference over the cells, ice pieces with high degree of clarity are obtained.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one temperature sensor measures the temperature of the heater and a control unit enables the heater to be operated at an almost constant temperature based on the data received from the temperature sensor. Thus, the temperature of the air circulating in the body can be kept under control in a simple manner.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a pair of temperature sensors are placed in the body, one being at the lower side and the other at the upper side of the ice tray, and the control unit monitors the data received from the temperature sensors and operates the heater such that the temperature difference between the base and the top surface of the ice-water mixture is kept within a predetermined temperature range. Thus, the temperature difference applied to the water-ice mixture in the cells can be precisely adjusted.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the heater is operated so as to obtain a temperature difference of 4 centigrade degrees to 6 centigrade degrees between the base and the top surface of the cells.

By means of the present invention, an independent hot air cycle is created over the cells and thus the formation of clear ice in an efficient and productive manner is provided.

The refrigerator realized in order to attain the aim of the present invention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

Figure 1 - is the sideways schematic view of the refrigerator related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 – is the sideways schematic view of the freezing compartment related to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 – is the top perspective view of the body, the heater and the fan related to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 – is the front schematic view of the ice making unit related to another embodiment of the present invention.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Refrigerator
Cabin
Freezing compartment
Cell
Ice tray
Body
Casing
Ice making unit
Heater
Fan
Support
Temperature sensor
Control unit
Chamber
Pivoting means

The refrigerator (1) comprises a cabin (2); at least one freezing compartment (3) that is disposed in the cabin (2) and wherein the food products to be frozen are placed, and an ice making unit (8) that is disposed in the freezing compartment (3) and that has at least one ice tray (5) with more than one cell (4) wherein water is put to form ice pieces, a body (6) wherein the ice tray (5) is placed and a casing (7) wherein the body (6) is disposed. The refrigerator (1) also comprises a tank (not shown in figures) wherein the water to be frozen is stored; a water adding apparatus (not shown in figures) that enables the water in the tank to be taken into the ice tray, and a pivoting means (15) that is attached to the ice tray (5), that enables the user to rotate the ice tray (5) in a horizontal axis and thus that enables the ice pieces to be separated from the ice tray (5) and to fall into a chamber (14) disposed under the ice tray (5).

The refrigerator (1) of the present invention comprises a body (6) that almost completely covers the ice tray (5), at least one heater (9) that is disposed between the casing (7) and the body (6) and that enables the air in the body (6) to be heated during the ice making process, and at least one fan (10) that is disposed on the body (6) and that enables the air heated by the heater (9) to be blown into the body (6) and to be passed over the ice tray (5) and sent back to the heater (9). The heater (9) is placed outside the body (6) so as to prevent the thermal radiation from reaching the ice tray (5). The fan (10) sucks the air in the body (6) toward the heater (9) and thus enables the air to be passed over the heater (9) and then blows the heated air back into the body (6). The hot air blown by the fan (10) diffuses into the body (6) and provides the formation of a homogeneous heat distribution over the ice tray (5). By means of the hot air cycle formed over the ice tray (5), the top surface of the water-ice mixture in the cells (4) is prevented from freezing and thus the dissolved gases are enabled to be removed from the top surface, and the degree of clarity is increased by creating a controlled temperature difference between the lower surface and the top surface of the ice tray (5).

In an embodiment of the present invention, the ice making unit (8) comprises at least one housing (11) that is disposed on the body (6) so as to be under the heater (9), wherein the fan (10) is placed and that has more than one hole (12) allowing the entry and exit of air. The housing (11) is in the form of a recess formed on the ceiling of the body (6) and enables the fan (10) to be placed on the body (6) so as to remain between the heater (9) and the ice tray (5). Thus, the heat can be efficiently transferred to the air passed over the heater (9).

In another embodiment of the present invention, in the body (6) at least one support (11) is disposed, that extends toward the ice tray (5) and that bears against the ice tray (5) so as to enable the volume of the body (6) together with the ice tray (5) to be divided into two. The support (11) bears against the edges of the ice tray (5) and thus enables the gap between the ice tray (5) and the wall of the body (6) to be closed. Thus, the hot air is prevented from reaching the lower part of the ice tray (5) and the hot air cycle occurs only on the top surface of the ice tray (5). Consequently, an efficient temperature difference between the lower part and the upper part of the water-ice mixture is provided and the dissolved gases are enabled to be completely removed from the ice-water mixture and the degree of clarity is increased.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least two supports (11) are disposed on the opposite walls of the body (6) so as to be on both sides of the ice tray (5) and positioned in a staggered manner with respect to each other such that one thereof bears against the ice tray (5) from the bottom and the other from the top. Thus, the supports (11) positioned in an offset manner with respect to each other in the vertical axis are prevented from impeding the rotational movement of the ice tray (5) while the user empties the ice cubes into the chamber (14) by using the pivoting means (15) after the ice making process.

In another embodiment of the present invention, at least one temperature sensor (12) that determines the temperature of the heater (9) is disposed in the vicinity of or on the heater (9), and a control unit (13) enables the heater (9) to be operated within a predetermined temperature range based on the data received from the temperature sensor (12). The control unit (13) continuously monitors the data received from the temperature sensor (12) and turns off the heater (9) if the temperature reaches an upper limit value. Upon detecting that the temperature of the heater (9) decreases below a lower limit value, the control unit (13) restarts the heater (9) and enables the air in the body (6) to be heated. The temperature sensor (12) can be placed on the heater (6) as integrated with a thermostat that enables the heater (6) to be turned on and off so as to operated in a certain range of temperature or in the vicinity of the heater (6) as a separate unit. Thus, the heater (6) is prevented from reaching high temperature values and affecting the refrigerating performance of the freezing compartment (3).

In another embodiment of the present invention, in the body (6) a pair of temperature sensors (12) are placed, one being at the lower side and the other at the upper side of the ice tray (5), and the control unit (13), according to the data received from the temperature sensors (12), enables the heater (9) to be operated such that the temperature difference between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5) is kept within a predetermined temperature range. The temperature sensors (12) are placed at the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5) so as to be in the volumes separated from each other by means of the supports (11) in the body (6). The control unit (13) continuously monitors the data received from the temperature sensors (12) and turns on and off the heater (9) so as to form a constant temperature difference between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5). Thus, the temperature difference between the cold volume remaining under the ice tray (5) and the volume above the ice tray (5) heated by means of the heater (9) can be precisely controlled. Consequently, considering that solubility varies with the temperature, the dissolved gases are enabled to be efficiently removed from the water and the ideal degree of clarity is achieved.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the heater (9) is operated such that a temperature difference of 4 centigrade degrees to 6 centigrade degrees is maintained between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5). Thus, an optimum balance is achieved between the degree of clarity and the duration of ice making process.

By means of the present invention, ice pieces with uniform clarity are obtained by forming a homogeneous hot air flow over the top surface of the ice tray (5). Thus, the degree of clarity is prevented from varying depending on the distance of the cells (4) to the heater (9). By means of the present invention, moreover, by providing an efficient temperature difference between the lower surface and the top surface of the ice tray (5), a refrigerator (1) wherein the ice making process is performed rapidly and with high productivity is realized.

Claims

A refrigerator (1) comprising a cabin (2); at least one freezing compartment (3) that is disposed in the cabin (2) and wherein the food products to be frozen are placed, and an ice making unit (8) that is disposed in the freezing compartment (3) and that has at least one ice tray (5) with more than one cell (4) wherein water is put to form ice pieces, a body (6) wherein the ice tray (5) is placed and a casing (7) wherein the body (6) is disposed, characterized by

- the body (6) that almost completely covers the ice tray (5),

- at least one heater (9) that is disposed between the casing (7) and the body (6) and that enables the air in the body (6) to be heated during the ice making process, and

- at least one fan (10) that is disposed on the body (6) and that enables the air heated by the heater (9) to be blown into the body (6) and to be passed over the ice tray (5) so as to be sent back to the heater (9).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1, characterized by at least one support (11) that is disposed in the body (6), that extends toward the ice tray (5) and that bears against the ice tray (5) so as to enable the volume of the body (6) together with the ice tray (5) to be divided into two.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 2, characterized by at least two supports (11) that are disposed on the opposite walls of the body (6) so as to be on both sides of the ice tray (5) and positioned in a staggered manner with respect to each other such that one thereof bears against the ice tray (5) from the bottom and the other from the top.
A refrigerator (1) as in any one of the above claims, characterized by at least one temperature sensor (12) that is disposed in the vicinity of or on the heater (9) and that determines the temperature of the heater (9) and a control unit (13) that enables the heater (9) to be operated within a predetermined temperature range based on the data received from the temperature sensor (12).
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 1 to Claim 3, characterized by a pair of temperature sensors (12) that are placed in the body (6), one being at the lower side and the other at the upper side of the ice tray (5), and the control unit (13) that, according to the data received from the temperature sensors (12), enables the heater (9) to be operated such that the temperature difference between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5) is kept within a predetermined temperature range.
A refrigerator (1) as in Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterized by the heater (9) that is operated such that a temperature difference of 4 centigrade degrees to 6 centigrade degrees is maintained between the lower side and the upper side of the ice tray (5).