WO2020110232A1 - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

A refrigerator comprises an ice making unit (1) that includes an icemaker to generate ice and a water supply tank to supply water to the icemaker, a temperature sensor (3) that measures the temperature of the water in the water supply tank, and a control device (10) that controls the refrigerator. The temperature sensor (3) measures the temperature of water in the water supply tank. The control device (10) comprises: a variation calculation unit (101) that calculates the variation per unit time of the temperature of the water in the water supply tank as measured by the temperature sensor (3); a stored water volume calculation unit (102) that calculates the amount of water stored in the water supply tank on the basis of variation per unit time of the temperature of the water in the water supply tank as calculated by the variation calculation unit (101); and a notification unit (105) that outputs information pertaining to the volume of water stored in the water supply tank as calculated by the stored water volume calculation unit (102).

Description

refrigerator

The present invention relates to a refrigerator.

As a general refrigerator ice making method, there is a method in which water is supplied from the water supply tank for ice making installed in the refrigerator to the ice making machine in the ice making room to generate ice. According to this method, it is impossible to make ice when the water in the water supply tank is exhausted. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to periodically supply water to the water supply tank.

Patent Document 1 discloses a refrigerator that detects the amount of water stored in a water supply tank with a weight sensor and notifies the user of water shortage when the amount of stored water falls below a threshold value. Patent Document 2 discloses a refrigerator that detects the amount of water stored in a water supply tank with a water level detection sensor and notifies the user of water shortage when the amount of stored water falls below a threshold value. Patent Document 3 discloses a refrigerator that counts the number of times of water supply after the water supply tank is set and notifies the water shortage when the number of times of water supply exceeds a threshold value or when the water supply is not detected.

JP, 9-269171, A JP, 2006-300360, A JP-A-7-71849

The refrigerators described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are used in general refrigerators, in addition to a tank detection sensor for detecting attachment of a water supply tank, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature in the refrigerator, a weight sensor or a water level detection sensor. Therefore, the manufacturing cost is increased. In the refrigerator described in Patent Document 3, when the user replenishes the water supply tank with water, it is not always necessary to replenish the water with a fixed amount, and therefore the timing of notifying the water shortage may be shifted. For example, when the lack of water is detected and the water is exhausted, the water in the water tank has already run out.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can suppress an increase in the manufacturing cost of a refrigerator and notify the user that the water supply tank for ice making is running out of water before it runs out. The purpose is to provide a simple refrigerator.

In order to achieve the above object, the refrigerator of the present invention includes an ice maker, a water supply tank, a temperature sensor, a change amount calculation unit, a water storage amount calculation unit, and a notification unit. Ice is produced in the ice maker. The water tank supplies water to the ice maker. The temperature sensor measures the temperature of the water in the water supply tank. The change amount calculation unit calculates the change amount of the water temperature of the water supply tank measured by the temperature sensor per unit time. The water storage amount calculation unit calculates the water storage amount of the water supply tank based on the amount of change in the water temperature of the water supply tank per unit time calculated by the change amount calculation unit. The notification unit outputs information about the amount of water stored in the water supply tank calculated by the amount of water storage calculation unit.

According to the present invention, the temperature sensor is used to calculate the amount of water stored in the water supply tank for ice making, and information about the amount of water stored in the water supply tank is output, thereby suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost and reducing the amount of water in the water supply tank. It is possible to provide a refrigerator that can inform the user that the water is almost out before the refrigerator runs out.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing of the section S1 of FIG. 1 of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 1. (A) Enlarged sectional view showing an example of the ice making unit of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment (b) Enlarged sectional view showing another example of the ice making unit of the refrigerator according to the first embodiment FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control device according to the first embodiment. The graph which shows the time change of the water temperature of the water supply tank which concerns on Embodiment 1. Flowchart showing the possible ice making frequency notification process according to the first embodiment (A) Enlarged sectional view showing an example of the ice making unit of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention (b) Enlarged sectional view showing another example of the ice making unit of the refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device according to the second embodiment Flowchart showing the possible ice making frequency notification processing according to the second embodiment Flowchart showing ice making time notification processing according to the second embodiment Sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the refrigerator which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control device according to the third embodiment. Flowchart showing ice making time notification processing according to a modification of the third embodiment

Hereinafter, a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment includes a heat insulating box 110 having an opening and heat insulating doors 121 to 125 that open and close the opening of the heat insulating box 110.

The heat insulating box 110 is composed of an outer box, an inner box, and the like. A heat insulating material is enclosed between the outer box and the inner box. The inside of the inner box of the heat insulating box 110 is partitioned by partitioning parts and divided into a plurality of storage chambers. In the example of FIG. 1, the refrigerator 100 includes a refrigerating room 131, an ice making room 132, a temperature switching room 133, a freezing room 134, and a vegetable room 135 as storage rooms. A cross-sectional view of the cross section S1 of the refrigerator 100 is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the refrigerator 100, in addition to the storage chambers 131 to 135, inside the heat insulating box 110, a cooler chamber 136 for storing the fan 201 and the cooler 202, a cooler chamber 136, and each storage are provided. A duct 137 connecting the chambers 131 to 135 and a control device chamber 138 for housing the control device 10 are provided.

The duct 137 has a blow-out air passage for supplying the cool air in the cooler chamber 136 to each of the storage chambers 131 to 135, and a return air passage for returning the cool air from each of the storage chambers 131 to 135 to the cooler chamber 136. When the control device 10 drives the fan 201, the cool air cooled by the cooler 202 is sent to each of the storage chambers 131 to 135 through the blowing air passage of the duct 137. Cold air is blown from the outlets provided in the storage chambers 131 to 135 to cool the storage chambers 131 to 135. The cool air flows from the return ports provided in the storage chambers 131 to 135 to the cooler chamber 136 through the return air passage of the duct 137. In this way, the cool air circulates in the refrigerator via the duct 137. Further, the refrigerator 100 includes an ice making unit that produces ice according to an instruction from the control device 10. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region R1 including the ice making portion.

As shown in FIG. 3( a ), the ice making unit 1 includes a water supply tank 11 for ice making, an ice maker 12 for producing ice, and a water supply pipe 13 for supplying water from the water supply tank 11 to the ice maker 12. .. The water supply tank 11 is installed in the refrigerator compartment 131. The ice maker 12 is installed in the ice making chamber 132. The water supply pipe 13 is arranged so as to penetrate the partition component 6 between the refrigerating compartment 131 and the ice making compartment 132. When the ice making unit 1 is instructed by the control device 10, the ice making unit 1 injects the water in the water supply tank 11 into the ice making machine 12 via the water supply pipe 13. The water injected into the ice maker 12 freezes to produce ice. The generated ice is separated by the rotation of the ice maker 12, and stored in the ice making chamber 132. Hereinafter, a series of operations from the pouring of the water in the water supply tank 11 into the ice maker 12 to the release of the ice will be referred to as an ice making operation. The water supply tank 11 is removable, and the user supplies water to the water supply tank 11.

A tank detection sensor 2 and a temperature sensor 3 are arranged near the water supply tank 11. The tank detection sensor 2 detects attachment of the water supply tank 11. When the tank detection sensor 2 detects that the water supply tank 11 is attached, the tank detection sensor 2 sends detection information indicating that the water supply tank 11 is attached to the control device 10. The sensing part of the temperature sensor 3 is inserted into the water supply tank 11 when the water supply tank 11 is attached. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 according to an instruction from the control device 10. When measuring the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11, the temperature sensor 3 sends water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 to the control device 10.

In the example of FIG. 3A, the temperature sensor 3 has a sensing unit inserted into the water supply tank 11 when the water supply tank 11 is mounted, and directly measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11, but the temperature Tw is measured. The method is not limited to this. When the temperature of the outer surface of the water supply tank 11 mounted in the refrigerating chamber 131 follows the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11, even if the outer surface temperature of the water supply tank 11 is measured as the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. Good. When the temperature of the outer surface of the water supply tank 11 is measured, for example, the temperature sensor 3 is a contact type temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or a thermistor, and as shown in FIG. Then, the temperature of the outer surface of the water supply tank 11 is measured. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 3 may be a non-contact type temperature sensor such as a thermopile and may be separated from the water supply tank 11 to measure the temperature of the outer surface of the water supply tank 11. When measuring the temperature of the outer surface of the water supply tank 11, the temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature of the outer surface of the portion where the inner surface of the water supply tank 11 contacts the water inside.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The control device 10 calculates a change amount calculation unit 101 that calculates a change amount of the water temperature of the water supply tank 11, a water storage amount calculation unit 102 that calculates a water storage amount of the water supply tank 11, and a water storage amount of the water supply tank 11. A storage unit 103 that stores reference data 31 that serves as a reference, an ice-making-possible number calculation unit 104 that calculates the number of times ice can be made, a notification unit 105 that notifies the number of times ice can be made, and an ice-making instruction unit that instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice. And 106.

When the change amount calculation unit 101 receives the detection information from the tank detection sensor 2, the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is set to time t0. The temperature sensor 3 sends the water temperature information at time t0 to the change amount calculation unit 101. The change amount calculation unit 101 has a timer and determines whether or not a predetermined unit time Δta has elapsed after instructing the temperature sensor 3 to measure the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. When the unit time Δta has elapsed, the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 again to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at time t1 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is time t1. The temperature sensor 3 sends the water temperature information at time t1 to the change amount calculation unit 101. The change amount calculation unit 101 subtracts the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t0 from the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t1 received from the temperature sensor 3, A change amount ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per time period Δta is calculated.

The stored water amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31 stored in the storage unit 103, and based on the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta calculated by the change amount calculation unit 101, the water supply tank 11 The water storage amount Vw of Details of the reference data 31 will be described later.

Here, a general relationship between the volume of water placed under a certain environmental temperature and the amount of change in water temperature over time will be described. When the volume V [m ³ ] of water is installed in the air of the ambient temperature Ta [°C], the water temperature change amount (T(t)-Ta) that changes with the elapsed time t is If it is assumed to be uniform, it is expressed by the following equation.
T(t)-Ta=exp(-H*S/(c*ρ*V)*t)*(Ti-Ta)

Ti [° C.] is the initial temperature of water, H is the heat transfer coefficient [W/(m ² *K)] between water and air, ρ is the density of water [kg/m ³ ], and c is the specific heat of water. [J/(kg*K)], S is the surface area of water [m ² ]. From the equation, it can be seen that if the volume V of water is large, the amount of change in water temperature (T(t)-Ta) that changes with the elapsed time t becomes small.

Next, the relationship between the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 of the refrigerator 100 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The graph G1 shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a graph showing the time change of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 when the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 is large. A graph G2 shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a graph showing a time change of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 when the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 is small.

As shown in FIG. 5, the water in the water supply tank 11 is cooled by the cool air in the refrigerator from time t0 when it is installed in the refrigerator, and the temperature Tw gradually decreases. At this time, in the case of the graph G1 under the condition that the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank is large, the amount of temperature decrease is small because the heat capacity of water is large. On the contrary, in the case of the graph G2 under the condition that the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank is small, the temperature decrease amount is large because the heat capacity of water is small. Let ΔTw_1 be the amount of change in the temperature Tw from the time t0 in the graph G1 to the time t1 when the unit time Δta has elapsed, and let ΔTw_2 be the amount of change in the temperature Tw from the time t0 in the graph G2 to the time t1 when the unit time Δta has elapsed. , ΔTw_1<ΔTw_2. From this, it can be said that the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta has a correlation with the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11. The water storage amount calculation unit 102 uses the correlation between the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta, and the water storage amount of the water supply tank 11 is used. Calculate Vw.

Returning to FIG. 4, the reference data 31 stored in the storage unit 103 is data indicating the correlation between the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta. .. For example, as the reference data 31, the measured values of the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the amount of change ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta in an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded. The data. Alternatively, when the formula for calculating the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 can be derived from the actually measured values of the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the variation ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta. The reference data 31 may be the calculation formula. For example, the calculation formula is derived by performing a single regression analysis on the measured value. The actual measurement value that is the basis of the reference data 31 is assumed to be measured under the same conditions as the refrigerator 100.

The allowable ice making number calculation unit 104 calculates the allowable number of ice making times from the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 calculated by the water storage amount calculation unit 102.

The notification unit 105 outputs the ice-making possible number information indicating the ice-making available number calculated by the ice-making available number calculating unit 104, and notifies the user of the ice making possible number. For example, when the refrigerator 100 has a monitor, the output of the possible number of times of ice making may be displayed on the monitor, and when the refrigerator 100 has a speaker, it may be output as voice from the speaker. Alternatively, the information about the number of times ice can be made may be transmitted to the terminal used by the user.

The ice making instruction unit 106 makes the ice making unit 1 make ice when the ice making possible number calculated by the ice making possible number calculating unit 104 is 1 or more and the first ice making start condition for starting the ice making operation is satisfied. Instruct. The first ice making start condition is, for example, a condition that the ice making operation is not being performed and that the ice making chamber 132 has a vacancy equal to or more than one ice making amount. When the ice making instruction unit 106 gives an instruction to make ice, the ice making unit 1 starts the ice making operation.

Each time the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice, the ice making possible number calculation unit 104 subtracts 1 from the previously calculated ice making possible number. The ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice when the first ice making start condition is satisfied while the number of times ice making is possible is one or more.

The notification unit 105 outputs the ice-making possible number information each time the ice-making possible number calculating unit 104 calculates the ice making possible number. Alternatively, the notification unit 105 may output the ice-making possible number information only when the ice-making available number calculated by the ice-making available number calculating unit 104 is equal to or less than the determined number. The determined number of times is 0, for example. The information output by the notification unit 105 is not limited to the information on the number of times ice can be made. The notification unit 105 may output warning information for notifying the water shortage when the possible number of ice making times calculated by the possible ice making time calculation unit 104 is equal to or less than the determined number.

Next, a flow of the ice-making possible number notification processing for notifying the ice-making possible number executed by the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The process for notifying the number of possible ice making operations shown in FIG. 6 starts when the refrigerator 100 is powered on. When the tank detection sensor 2 detects that the water supply tank 11 is attached, the tank detection sensor 2 sends detection information indicating that the water supply tank 11 is attached to the control device 10. If the detection information is not received from the tank detection sensor 2 (step S11; NO), the change amount calculation unit 101 of the control device 10 repeats step S11 and waits for the detection information to be sent. When the detection information is received from the tank detection sensor 2 (step S11; YES), the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11.

The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is set to time t0. The temperature sensor 3 sends the water temperature information at time t0 to the control device 10. The change amount calculation unit 101 of the control device 10 receives the water temperature information at time t0 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S12).

The change amount calculation unit 101 determines whether or not a predetermined unit time Δta has elapsed after instructing the temperature sensor 3 to measure the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 (step S13). When the unit time Δta has not elapsed (step S13; NO), the change amount calculation unit 101 repeats step S13 and waits for the unit time Δta to elapse. When the unit time Δta has elapsed (step S13; YES), the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 again to measure the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is time t1. The temperature sensor 3 sends water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at time t1 to the control device 10. The change amount calculation unit 101 of the control device 10 receives the water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at the time t1 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S14).

The change amount calculation unit 101 subtracts the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t0 from the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t1 received from the temperature sensor 3, A change amount ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per time period Δta is calculated (step S15). The stored water amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31 stored in the storage unit 103, and based on the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta calculated by the change amount calculation unit 101, the water supply tank 11 The stored water amount Vw is calculated (step S16). For example, the data in which the reference data 31 is an actual measurement value of the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the amount of change ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δta in an experiment performed in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded. In this case, the stored water amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31 and calculates the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 corresponding to the change amount ΔTw calculated in step S15.

The number of possible ice making operations 104 divides the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 calculated by the stored water amount calculation portion 102 by the amount of water supplied to the ice making device 12 each time, and rounds down the decimal point to the number of possible ice making operations. Calculate n. (Step S17). The notification unit 105 outputs the ice production possible number information indicating the ice production possible number n calculated by the ice production possible number calculation unit 104 (step S18) and notifies the user of the ice production possible number n.

If the number of possible ice making times n is 1 or more (step S19; YES), the ice making instruction unit 106 determines whether the first ice making start condition is satisfied (step S20). The first ice making start condition is, for example, that the ice making operation is not being performed, and that the ice making chamber 132 has an empty space equal to or more than one ice making amount. When the first ice making start condition is not satisfied (step S20; NO), the ice making instruction unit 106 repeats step S20 and waits until the first ice making start condition is satisfied. When the first ice making start condition is satisfied (step S20; YES), the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S21). The ice making unit 1 starts the ice making operation according to the instruction from the ice making instruction unit 106. The process returns to step S17, and the possible ice making number calculation unit 104 of the control device 10 subtracts 1 from the previously calculated possible ice making number to calculate the possible ice making number n (step S17). The controller 10 repeats steps S17 to S21 while the number of possible ice making times n is 1 or more.

If the number n of times ice can be made is 0 (step S19; NO), if the power of the refrigerator 100 is not OFF (step S22; NO), the process returns to step S11 and steps S11 to S22 are repeated. When the power is turned off (step S22; YES), the process ends.

Note that, if it is determined in step S19 that the number n of possible ice-making times is less than or equal to the determined number, the notification unit 105 may output warning information for notifying the water shortage.

As described above, according to the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, the temperature sensor 3 is used to calculate the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 for ice making, and the ice making possible number information indicating the ice making possible number n is output. By doing so, a new type of sensor such as a weight sensor or a water level detection sensor is not required to calculate the water storage amount Vw, so that an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed, and before the water in the water supply tank 11 runs out. , It is possible to inform the user that the water is running out.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, the temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 injected into the ice maker 12. The control device 10 controls the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 that is first injected into the ice maker 12 after the water supply tank 11 is attached, and the temperature of the water in the water supply tank 11 that is secondly injected into the ice maker 12. The amount Vw of water stored in the water supply tank 11 is calculated based on the amount of change ΔTw with respect to Tw, and the number of times ice can be made is calculated from the amount Vw of water stored. Further, in the second embodiment, the time from the completion of the water injection into the ice maker 12 to the completion of the ice making is predicted from the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 injected into the ice maker 12. As a result, the user can be notified of the number of times ice can be made and the time until ice making is completed, which improves convenience. The refrigerator 100 according to the second embodiment has the same configuration as the refrigerator 100 according to the first embodiment except for the position of the temperature sensor 3 and the functional configuration of the control device 10.

FIG. 7 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the region R1 including the ice making unit 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7A, the temperature sensor 3 is arranged near the ice maker 12. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 injected into the ice maker 12 according to an instruction from the control device 10. The temperature sensor 3 sends water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 injected into the ice maker 12 to the control device 10.

In the example of FIG. 7A, the temperature sensor 3 has a sensing unit inserted into the water poured into the ice maker 12, and directly measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice maker 12. However, the method of measuring the temperature Tw is not limited to this. When the temperature of the outer surface of the ice maker 12 into which the water in the water supply tank 11 is injected conforms to the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11, the temperature of the outer surface of the ice maker 12 into which the water in the water supply tank 11 is injected is It may be measured as the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11. When measuring the temperature of the outer surface of the ice maker 12, for example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the temperature sensor 3 is a contact type temperature sensor such as a thermocouple or a thermistor, and contacts the ice maker 12. The temperature of the outer surface of the ice maker 12 is measured. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature of the outer surface of the portion where the inner surface of the ice maker 12 is in contact with water. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 3 may be a non-contact type temperature sensor such as a thermopile, and may measure the surface temperature of water injected into the ice maker 12 apart from the ice maker 12.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In addition to the functional configuration of the control device 10 of the first embodiment, the control device 10 of the second embodiment predicts the ice-making time that predicts the time from the completion of the injection of water into the ice maker 12 to the completion of the ice-making. The unit 107 is provided. Hereinafter, the time from the completion of the injection of water into the ice maker 12 to the completion of the ice making is referred to as ice making time Δti. The storage unit 103 also stores reference data 32 that is a reference for predicting the ice making time Δti.

When the ice-making instruction unit 106 receives the detection information from the tank detection sensor 2, the ice-making unit 1 instructs the ice-making unit 1 to make the first ice when the second ice-making start condition that enables starting the ice-making operation twice is satisfied. .. The second ice making start condition is, for example, a condition that the ice making chamber 132 has an empty space equal to or more than the amount of ice making twice. The ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the second ice when a predetermined unit time Δtb elapses after instructing the ice making unit 1 to make the first ice. The unit time Δtb here is longer than the time required for one ice making operation.

The change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 when the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the first ice. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice maker 12 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is set to time t2. The time t2 is the time after the water injection time has elapsed since the temperature sensor 3 received the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The water injection time is the time from when the ice making unit 1 receives an instruction to make ice and until the water in the water supply tank 11 is completely injected into the ice making device 12. The temperature sensor 3 sends the water temperature information at time t2 to the control device 10. The change amount calculation unit 101 and the ice making time prediction unit 107 of the control device 10 receive the water temperature information at the time t2 from the temperature sensor 3.

The change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 when the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the second ice. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice maker 12 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is time t3. Time t3 is the time after the water injection time has elapsed since the temperature sensor 3 received the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The temperature sensor 3 sends water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at the time t3 to the control device 10. The change amount calculation unit 101 and the ice making time prediction unit 107 of the control device 10 receive water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at the time t3 from the temperature sensor 3.

The change amount calculation unit 101 subtracts the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t2 from the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t3 received from the temperature sensor 3, A change amount ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per time period Δtb is calculated.

The water storage amount calculation unit 102 and the possible ice making number calculation unit 104 perform the same processing as in the first embodiment. For the third and subsequent ice making operations, the ice making instruction unit 106 determines that the ice making unit 1 determines that the ice making possible number calculated by the ice making possible number operation unit 104 is 1 or more and the first ice making start condition is satisfied. Instruct ice making.

The ice making time prediction unit 107 refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103, and predicts the ice making time Δti from the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3.

The water poured into the ice maker 12 is cooled by the cold air in the ice making chamber 132, and the temperature is lowered. At this time, if the temperature of the water injected into the ice maker 12 is high, the cooling amount required to complete the ice making is large and the ice making time Δti becomes long. On the other hand, if the temperature of the water injected into the ice maker 12 is low, the cooling amount required to complete the ice making is small and the ice making time Δti becomes short. From this, it can be said that the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 measured by the temperature sensor 2 has a correlation with the ice making time Δti. The ice-making time prediction unit 107 predicts the ice-making time Δti by utilizing the correlation between the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 and the ice-making time Δti.

The reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103 is data indicating the correlation between the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 and the ice making time Δti. For example, the reference data 32 is data in which actually measured values of the temperature Tw of water in the water supply tank 11 and the ice making time Δti in an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded. Alternatively, when the calculation formula for calculating the ice making time Δti can be derived from the actual measurement value of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 and the ice making time Δti, the reference data 32 may be the calculation formula. For example, the calculation formula is derived by performing a single regression analysis on the measured value. Further, the reference data 32 includes the ice making time Δti corresponding to the temperature of the refrigerating room 131. The actual measurement value that is the basis of the reference data 32 is assumed to be measured under the same conditions as the refrigerator 100.

During the third and subsequent ice making operations, the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 is almost the same as the temperature of the refrigerating chamber 131. Therefore, the ice making time predicting unit 107 causes the ice making instruction unit 106 to move to the ice making unit 1 for the third time. When the subsequent ice making is instructed, the time until the ice making is completed is predicted from the temperature of the refrigerating room 131 by referring to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103.

The notifying unit 105 outputs ice making time information indicating the ice making time Δti predicted by the ice making time predicting unit 107, and notifies the user of the ice making time Δti. The output of the ice making time information may be displayed on the monitor when the refrigerator 100 includes a monitor, or may be output as a voice from the speaker when the refrigerator 100 includes a speaker, for example. Alternatively, the ice making time information may be transmitted to the terminal used by the user. The other functional configuration of the control device 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Next, the flow of the ice-making-possible number notification processing for notifying the ice-making possible number executed by the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The process for notifying the number of possible ice making operations shown in FIG. 9 starts when the power of the refrigerator 100 is turned on. When the tank detection sensor 2 detects that the water supply tank 11 is attached, the tank detection sensor 2 sends detection information indicating that the water supply tank 11 is attached to the control device 10.

If the ice making instruction unit 106 of the control device 10 has not received the detection information from the tank detection sensor 2 (step S31; NO), the step S31 is repeated and waits until the detection information is sent. When the detection information is received from the tank detection sensor 2 (step S31; YES), it is determined whether or not the second ice making start condition is satisfied (step S32). The second ice making start condition is, for example, a condition that the ice making chamber 132 has an empty space equal to or more than the amount of ice making twice. When the second ice making start condition is not satisfied (step S32; NO), the ice making instruction unit 106 repeats step S32 and waits until the second ice making start condition is satisfied. When the second ice making start condition is satisfied (step S32; YES), the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the first ice making (step S33).

The ice making unit 1 starts the first ice making operation according to the instruction from the ice making instruction unit 106. When the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the first ice, the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice maker 12 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is set to time t2. The time t2 is the time after the water injection time has elapsed since the temperature sensor 3 received the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The temperature sensor 3 sends the water temperature information at time t2 to the control device 10. The change amount calculation unit 101 of the control device 10 receives the water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at the time t2 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S34).

The ice making instruction unit 106 determines whether or not the unit time Δtb has elapsed since the ice making unit 1 was given the first ice making instruction (step S35). If the unit time Δtb has not elapsed (step S35; NO), the ice making instruction unit 106 repeats step S35 and waits for the unit time Δtb to elapse. When the unit time Δtb has elapsed (step S35; YES), the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the second ice making (step S36). The ice making unit 1 starts the second ice making operation according to the instruction from the ice making instruction unit 106. When the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the second ice, the change amount calculation unit 101 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice maker 12 according to the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The measurement time at this time is time t3. Time t3 is the time after the water injection time has elapsed since the temperature sensor 3 received the instruction from the change amount calculation unit 101. The water temperature information at time t3 is sent to the change amount calculation unit 101 and the ice making time prediction unit 107. The change amount calculation unit 101 of the control device 10 receives water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 at the time t3 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S37).

The change amount calculation unit 101 subtracts the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t2 from the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t3 received from the temperature sensor 3, A change amount ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per time period Δtb is calculated (step S38). The water storage amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31 stored in the storage unit 103, and based on the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb calculated by the change amount calculation unit 101, the water supply tank 11 The stored water amount Vw is calculated (step S39). For example, the data in which the reference data 31 is an actual measurement value of the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the amount of change ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb in an experiment performed in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded. If it is, the stored water amount calculation unit 102 calculates the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 corresponding to the change amount ΔTw calculated in step S38 with reference to the reference data 31.

Steps S40 to S45 are the same as steps S17 to S22 in the flowchart of FIG. As described above, in the second embodiment, the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 that is first injected into the ice maker 12 after the water supply tank 11 is attached, and the water tank that is injected into the ice maker 12 second time The amount Vw of water stored in the water supply tank 11 is calculated based on the amount of change ΔTw from the water temperature Tw of 11.

Next, the flow of ice making time notification processing for notifying the ice making time, which is executed by the refrigerator 100, will be described with reference to FIG. The ice making time notification process shown in FIG. 10 starts when the power of the refrigerator 100 is turned on.

When the ice making time prediction unit 107 of the control device 10 receives the water temperature information at the time t2 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S51), it refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103 and supplies the water supplied by the water temperature information at the time t2. The ice making time Δti is predicted from the temperature Tw of the water in the tank 11 (step S52). For example, when the reference data 32 is data in which the measured values of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 and the ice making time Δti of an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded, the ice making time predicting unit 107 makes the reference. With reference to the data 32, the ice making time Δti corresponding to the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at the time t2 is calculated. The notification unit 105 outputs ice making time information indicating the ice making time Δti predicted by the ice making time predicting unit 107 (step S53), and notifies the user of the ice making time Δti.

When the ice-making time prediction unit 107 receives the water temperature information at time t3 from the temperature sensor 3 (step S54), the ice-making time prediction unit 107 refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103 and refers to the water in the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at time t3. The ice-making time Δti is predicted from the temperature Tw (step S55). For example, when the reference data 32 is data in which the measured values of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 and the ice making time Δti of an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 are recorded, the ice making time predicting unit 107 makes the reference. With reference to the data 32, the ice making time Δti corresponding to the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information at the time t3 is calculated. The notification unit 105 outputs ice making time information indicating the ice making time Δti predicted by the ice making time predicting unit 107 (step S56), and notifies the user of the ice making time Δti.

When the possible number of ice making times n calculated by the possible ice making time calculation unit 104 is 1 or more (step S57; YES), the ice making time prediction unit 107 determines whether the ice making instruction unit 106 has instructed the ice making unit 1 to make ice. The determination is made (step S58). When the ice making instruction unit 106 has not instructed the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S58; NO), the ice making time prediction unit 107 repeats step S58, and the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice. stand by. When the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S58; YES), the ice making time prediction unit 107 refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103, and the ice making time is determined from the temperature of the refrigerating room 131. The time until completion is predicted (step S59). The notification unit 105 outputs ice making time information indicating the ice making time Δti predicted by the ice making time predicting unit 107 (step S60) and notifies the user of the ice making time Δti.

The refrigerator 100 repeats steps S57 to S60 as long as the number of possible ice-making times n is 1 or more. If the number n of times ice can be made is 0 (step S57; NO) and the power of the refrigerator 100 is not OFF (step S61; NO), the process returns to step S51, and steps S51 to S61 are repeated. When the power is turned off (step S61; YES), the process ends.

As described above, according to the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment, the temperature sensor 3 is used to calculate the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 for ice making, and the ice making possible number information indicating the ice making possible number n is output. By doing so, a new type of sensor such as a weight sensor or a water level detection sensor is not required to calculate the water storage amount Vw, so that an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed, and before the water in the water supply tank 11 runs out. , It is possible to inform the user that the water is running out. In addition, by predicting the time until the ice making is completed from the temperature of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice making device 12, the time until the ice making is completed can be notified to the user, which is convenient. Is improved.

(Embodiment 3)
In the first and second embodiments, it is assumed that the set temperatures of refrigerating room 131 and ice making room 132 of refrigerator 100 are constant, but in the third embodiment, the set temperatures of refrigerating room 131 and ice making room 132 can be changed. To do. In the third embodiment, the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 is calculated based on the temperatures of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb. Since the ice making time Δti varies depending on the temperature of the ice making chamber 132, the ice making time Δti is calculated based on the temperature of the ice making chamber 132 and the temperature of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice making device 12. FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerator 100 includes, in addition to the configuration of the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 2, a refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4 and an ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 131. The refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4 is arranged in the refrigerating compartment 131, and measures the temperature Tr of the refrigerating compartment 131 according to an instruction from the control device 10. The refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4 sends refrigerating compartment temperature information indicating the temperature Tr of the refrigerating compartment 131 to the control device 10. The ice making chamber temperature sensor 5 is arranged in the ice making chamber 132, and measures the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 according to an instruction from the control device 10. The ice making chamber temperature sensor 5 sends ice making chamber temperature information indicating the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 to the control device 10. Other configurations of the refrigerator 100 are similar to those of the second embodiment.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The water storage amount calculation unit 102 of the control device 10 of the third embodiment receives the refrigerating chamber temperature information and the ice making chamber temperature information from the refrigerating chamber temperature sensor 4 and the ice making chamber temperature sensor 5, respectively, and the ice making time prediction unit 107 makes the ice making chamber prediction unit 107. Information on the temperature of the ice making chamber is received from the temperature sensor 5.

The water storage amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31 stored in the storage unit 103, and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb calculated by the change amount calculation unit 101 and the refrigerating room temperature. The amount of water stored in the water supply tank 11 based on the temperature Tr of the refrigerating compartment 131 indicated by the refrigerating compartment temperature information received from the sensor 4 and the temperature Tf of the ice making compartment 132 indicated by the ice making compartment temperature information received from the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5. Calculate Vw.

The reference data 31 is data indicating a correlation among the temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131, the temperature Tf of the ice making room 132, the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11, and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. Is. For example, the reference data 31 is the temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131, the temperature Tf of the ice making room 132, the amount Vw of water stored in the water supply tank 11, and the water supply tank per unit time Δtb in an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100. 11 is the data in which the actual measurement values of the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of 11 are recorded. Alternatively, the measured values of the temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131, the temperature Tf of the ice making room 132, the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11, and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb in the experiment. From the above, when the calculation formula for calculating the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 can be derived, the reference data 31 may be the calculation formula. For example, the calculation formula is derived by performing multiple regression analysis on the measured value.

Alternatively, the reference data 31 may be data obtained by adding correction data indicating correction values for each temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131 and temperature Tf of the ice making room 132 to the reference data 31 of the second embodiment. The correction values are the temperature Tr of the refrigerating chamber 131, the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132, the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11, and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb. Calculate from the measured value. When the temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131 and the temperature Tf of the ice making room 132 are respectively the same as the temperature of the refrigerating room 131 and the temperature of the ice making room 132 assumed in the second embodiment, the correction value is “0”. ..

The ice making time prediction unit 107 refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103, and refers to the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 and the ice making chamber received from the ice making chamber temperature sensor 5. Based on the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 indicated by the temperature information, the time until the ice making is completed is predicted. The other functional configuration of the control device 10 is the same as that of the second embodiment.

The reference data 32 is data indicating the correlation between the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132, the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11, and the ice making time Δti. For example, the reference data 32 is data in which actually measured values of the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132, the temperature Tw of the water of the water supply tank 11, and the ice making time Δti are recorded in an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100. When the calculation formula for calculating the ice making time Δti can be derived from the actual measurement values of the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 of the experiment, the temperature Tw of the water of the water supply tank 11, and the ice making time Δti, the reference data 32 is the calculation formula. But it is okay. For example, the calculation formula is derived by performing multiple regression analysis on the measured value.

Alternatively, the reference data 32 may be data obtained by adding correction data indicating a correction value for each temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 to the reference data 32 of the second embodiment. The correction value is calculated from the actual measurement values of the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132, the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11, and the ice making time Δti in the experiment. When the temperature Tf of the ice making chamber 132 is the same as the temperature of the ice making chamber 132 assumed in the second embodiment, the correction value is “0”.

As described above, according to the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment, the temperature sensor 3 is used to calculate the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 for ice making, and the ice making possible number information indicating the ice making possible number n is output. By doing so, a new type of sensor such as a weight sensor or a water level detection sensor is not required to calculate the water storage amount Vw, so that an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed, and before the water in the water supply tank 11 runs out. , It is possible to inform the user that the water is running out. Further, by calculating the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 based on the temperature ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δtb and the temperatures of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132, the water supply tank 11 is calculated. The accuracy of estimation of the stored water amount Vw of is improved. Further, by calculating the ice making time Δti based on the temperature of the ice making chamber 132 and the temperature of the water in the water supply tank 11 poured into the ice making device 12, the estimation accuracy of the ice making time Δti is improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the notification unit 105 determines the ice-making possible number information indicating the ice making possible number n calculated by the ice making possible number calculating unit 104 or the ice making possible number n calculated by the ice making possible number calculating unit 104. When the number of times is less than or equal to the number of times, warning information for notifying water shortage is output. Not limited to this, the notification unit 105 may output the stored water amount information that notifies the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 calculated by the stored water amount calculation unit 102. Alternatively, the notification unit 105 may output warning information for notifying the water shortage when the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 calculated by the water storage amount calculation unit 102 becomes equal to or less than a threshold value. In these cases, the control device 10 does not have to include the ice-making possible number calculation unit 104. The information about the number of times ice can be made, the warning information, and the stored water amount information are examples of information about the stored water amount.

In the second embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 injected into the ice maker 12. Not limited to this, as in the first embodiment, the temperature sensor 3 may directly measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water tank 11, or the temperature of the outer surface of the water tank 11 may be the temperature of the water in the water tank 11. It may be measured as Tw. In this case, the flow of the notification processing of the number of possible ice-making becomes similar to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 13 shows the flow of the ice making time notification processing in this case. The ice making time notification process shown in FIG. 13 starts when the power of the refrigerator 100 is turned on.

The ice making time prediction unit 107 of the control device 10 determines whether or not the ice making instruction unit 106 has instructed the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S71). When the ice making instruction unit 106 has not instructed the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S71; NO), step S71 is repeated to wait for the ice making instruction. When the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice (step S71; YES), the ice making time prediction unit 107 instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11. The temperature sensor 3 measures the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 according to an instruction from the ice making time prediction unit 107. The temperature sensor 3 sends water temperature information indicating the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 to the control device 10. The ice making time prediction unit 107 receives the water temperature information from the temperature sensor 3 (step S72).

The ice making time prediction unit 107 refers to the reference data 32 stored in the storage unit 103, and predicts the ice making time Δti from the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 (step S73). .. The notification unit 105 outputs ice making time information indicating the ice making time Δti predicted by the ice making time predicting unit 107 (step S74). If the power of the refrigerator 100 is not turned off (step S75; NO), the process returns to step S71, and steps S71 to S75 are repeated. If the power is turned off (step S75; YES), the process ends.

In the second embodiment described above, the ice making time prediction unit 107 predicts the time from the temperature of the refrigerating room 131 until the ice making is completed for the third and subsequent ice makings. Not limited to this, the ice making time predicting unit 107 predicts the time until the ice making is completed from the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 indicated by the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 even for the third and subsequent ice making. May be. In this case, the change amount calculation unit 101 also instructs the temperature sensor 3 to measure the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 when the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make ice even for the third and subsequent ice making operations.

In Embodiment 3 described above, the water storage amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31, and changes in the temperature of the refrigerating room 131 and the temperature of the ice making room 132 and the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δt. The water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 is calculated based on the amount ΔTw. Not limited to this, the water storage amount calculation unit 102 supplies water based on either the temperature of the refrigerating room 131 or the temperature of the ice making room 132 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δt. The water storage amount Vw of the tank 11 may be calculated. In this case, the reference data 31 is a correlation between any one of the temperature Tr of the refrigerating room 131 and the temperature Tf of the ice making room 132, the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11, and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11. It is data showing a relationship.

In the third embodiment described above, the refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 4 and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 are added to the configuration of the refrigerator 100 of the second embodiment, and the water supply tank 11 is based on the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment 131 and the ice making compartment 132. The water storage amount Vw is corrected and the ice making time Δti is corrected based on the temperature of the ice making chamber 132. Not limited to this, a refrigerator compartment temperature sensor 4 and an ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 are added to the configuration of the refrigerator 100 of the first embodiment, and the amount of water stored in the water supply tank 11 is based on the temperatures of the refrigerating compartment 131 and the ice making compartment 132. Vw may be corrected.

In the refrigerator 100 according to the third embodiment described above, the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4 measures the temperature of the refrigerating compartment 131 and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 measures the temperature of the ice making compartment 132, but not limited to this. The change amount calculation unit 101 may be configured to acquire information indicating the set temperatures of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132. In this case, the refrigerator 100 may not include the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4 and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5. For example, it is assumed that the temperature settings of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132 are "strong/medium/weak", respectively. In this case, for example, the reference data 31 is, for each combination of the temperature settings of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132, the water storage amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 of an experiment conducted in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100, and per unit time Δt. It is the data in which the measured value with the variation amount ΔTw of the temperature Tw of the water in the water supply tank 11 is recorded. Alternatively, the reference data 31 is the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 and the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δt of the experiment performed in advance in the same refrigerator as the refrigerator 100 for each combination of the temperature settings of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132. This is a calculation formula derived from an actual measurement value with a change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw. The water storage amount calculation unit 102 refers to the reference data 31, and obtains information indicating the acquired set temperatures of the refrigerating room 131 and the ice making room 132 and the change amount ΔTw of the water temperature Tw of the water supply tank 11 per unit time Δt. Based on this, the stored water amount Vw of the water supply tank 11 is calculated.

In the above-described embodiment, the temperature sensor 3, the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4, and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 measure the temperature according to the instruction from the control device 10. Not limited to this, the temperature sensor 3, the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor 4, and the ice making compartment temperature sensor 5 may measure the temperature continuously, or may measure the temperature at regular intervals. When this configuration is applied to the first embodiment, the variation calculation unit 101 sets the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 when the detection information is received from the tank detection sensor 2 as the water temperature information at time t0, and the unit time Δt is The water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 after the elapse is used as the water temperature information at time t1. When this configuration is applied to the second embodiment and the third embodiment, the change amount calculation unit 101 includes the temperature sensor 3 after the water injection time elapses after the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the first ice making. The water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 is used as the water temperature information at time t2, and the water temperature information received from the temperature sensor 3 after the water injection time has elapsed after the ice making instruction unit 106 instructs the ice making unit 1 to make the second ice making process. And

The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Further, the above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

1 ice making part, 2 tank detection sensor, 3 temperature sensor, 4 refrigerating room temperature sensor, 5 ice making room temperature sensor, 6 partition parts, 10 control device, 11 water supply tank, 12 ice maker, 13 water supply pipe, 31, 32 standard data , 100 refrigerator, 101 change amount calculation unit, 102 water storage amount calculation unit, 103 storage unit, 104 ice making possible number calculation unit, 105 notification unit, 106 ice making instruction unit, 107 ice making time prediction unit, 110 heat insulation box body, 121, 122 , 123, 124, 125 heat insulating door, 131 refrigerating room, 132 ice making room, 133 temperature switching room, 134 freezing room, 135 vegetable room, 136 cooler room, 137 duct, 138 control device room, 201 fan, 202 cooler.

Claims (8)

1. An ice maker that produces ice,
   A water supply tank for supplying water to the ice maker,
   A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the water in the water tank,
   A change amount calculation unit that calculates a change amount of the temperature of the water in the water supply tank measured by the temperature sensor per unit time,
   Based on the amount of change in the temperature of the water in the water tank per unit time calculated by the change amount calculation unit, a water storage amount calculation unit that calculates the amount of water stored in the water supply tank,
   A notification unit that outputs information regarding the amount of water stored in the water tank calculated by the amount of water storage unit;
   A refrigerator equipped with.
2. An ice making possible number calculating unit that calculates the ice making possible number from the water storage amount of the water supply tank calculated by the water storing amount calculating unit,
   The notification unit outputs ice-making possible number information indicating the ice-making available number calculated by the ice-making available number calculating unit,
   The refrigerator according to claim 1.
3. The notification unit outputs warning information for notifying a water shortage when the water storage amount of the water supply tank calculated by the water storage amount calculation unit is equal to or less than a threshold value,
   The refrigerator according to claim 1 or 2.
4. A tank detection sensor for detecting that the water supply tank is attached,
   The change amount calculation unit,
   Calculating the amount of change between the temperature of the water in the water tank measured by the temperature sensor when the water tank is mounted and the temperature of the water in the water tank measured by the temperature sensor after the unit time has elapsed,
   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
5. A refrigerating compartment temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the refrigerating compartment in which the water supply tank is installed,
   An ice making room temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the ice making room in which the ice making machine is installed,
   Equipped with
   At least one of the temperature of the refrigerating compartment measured by the refrigerating compartment temperature sensor and the temperature of the ice making compartment measured by the ice making compartment temperature sensor, and the amount of change in the water temperature of the water supply tank, Based on,, calculate the water storage amount of the water supply tank,
   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
6. The temperature sensor measures the temperature of water in the water supply tank supplied to the ice maker,
   The refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
7. Based on the temperature of the water in the water supply tank supplied to the ice maker measured by the temperature sensor, further comprises an ice making time predicting unit that predicts a time until ice making is completed,
   The notification unit further outputs ice making time information indicating a time until the ice making is predicted by the ice making time predicting unit,
   The refrigerator according to claim 6.
8. An ice making room temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the ice making room in which the ice making machine is installed,
   The ice making time prediction unit, based on the temperature of the ice making chamber measured by the ice making chamber temperature sensor, and the temperature of the water of the water supply tank measured by the temperature sensor, the time until the ice making is completed, Predict,
   The refrigerator according to claim 7.

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