WO2022135575A1

WO2022135575A1 - Liquid storage tank, and ice maker comprising same

Info

Publication number: WO2022135575A1
Application number: PCT/CN2021/141250
Authority: WO
Inventors: 豊岛昌志; 增田英夫; 加藤直树
Original assignee: 海尔智家股份有限公司; 青岛海尔电冰箱有限公司; Aqua 株式会社
Priority date: 2020-12-24
Filing date: 2021-12-24
Publication date: 2022-06-30
Also published as: CN116685816A; JP2022100953A

Abstract

Provided are a liquid storage tank capable of reliably preventing a liquid from being siphoned out and flowing into a liquid container located below, and an ice maker comprising the liquid storage tank. Provided are a liquid storage tank (50) and an ice maker (2) comprising the liquid storage tank (50). The liquid storage tank (50) is connected, by means of a flow path (90), to a liquid container (2) located below the liquid storage tank, and comprises a main tank (56) storing a liquid, a first valve (70) disposed on the lower portion of the main tank (56), and an auxiliary tank (58) disposed on the lower side of the first valve (70) and connected to the flow path (90). By means of opening or closing the first valve (70), an amount of liquid to be supplied to the liquid container (20) is supplied from the main tank (56) to the auxiliary tank (58).

Description

Reservoir and Ice Maker Including Reservoir

technical field

The present invention relates to a liquid storage tank storing liquid supplied to a liquid container and an ice maker including the liquid storage tank.

Background technique

Ice machines that freeze liquid to generate ice are widely used. In such an ice maker, there has been proposed an ice maker including an easily detachable water supply tank, an ice making tray positioned below the water supply tank, and a pump that guides water in the water supply tank to the ice making tray. (For example, see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-77371)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problem to be solved by the present invention

In the ice maker described in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent the water in the water supply tank from naturally flowing out to the ice tray positioned below due to the siphon phenomenon, control is performed to reverse the pump. However, if transparent ice is to be produced, the flowing water needs to be brought into contact with the cooled rod-like member to form crystals of ice free of impurities. Therefore, the liquid container is connected with the water supply tank, and finally the remaining water needs to be sucked out from the liquid container, which may contain more impurities. Therefore, during the ice making phase, the pump cannot be reversed to prevent siphoning.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a liquid storage tank that can reliably prevent liquid from flowing out into a liquid container located below due to a siphon phenomenon, and an ice maker including the liquid storage tank. Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid storage tank that can finally discard residual liquid that may contain more impurities, and an ice maker including the liquid storage tank.

solution to the problem

The liquid storage tank of the present invention is a liquid storage tank connected to a liquid container arranged below through a flow path, and is characterized in that it includes:

the main tank, which stores the liquid;

a first valve, which is arranged at the lower part of the main body box;

an auxiliary box, which is arranged on the lower side of the first valve and is connected with the flow path;

By opening and closing the first valve, the amount of liquid supplied to the liquid container is supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank.

According to the present invention, the main tank and the liquid container in which the liquid is stored are not directly connected, but the liquid supplied to the liquid container is supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank connected to the liquid container via the flow path. Accordingly, after the liquid is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the liquid container, the liquid flowing out to the liquid container due to the siphon phenomenon does not remain in the auxiliary tank.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a liquid storage tank that can reliably prevent liquid from flowing into the liquid container located below due to the siphon phenomenon.

In addition, the storage tank of the present invention is characterized in that:

It also includes a second valve, the second valve is arranged at the lower part of the auxiliary tank and is connected with the drain part on the lower side,

After the liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the liquid container via the flow path, and finally returned from the liquid container to the auxiliary tank via the flow path, By opening the second valve, the liquid returning to the auxiliary tank, which may contain more impurities, is discharged to the liquid discharge part.

According to the present invention, the liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank can be supplied from the auxiliary tank to the liquid container, and the liquid possibly containing more impurities is finally returned from the liquid container to the auxiliary tank, and then discharged through the second valve. As a result, the liquid returning from the liquid container, which may contain many impurities, can be discharged. Therefore, in the following process, the liquid container can be filled with the liquid with less impurities in the main body tank.

It also includes a rack, the rack extends in the transverse direction, and the upper part is provided with a convex part, and the convex part pushes up the movable parts of the first valve and the second valve to change from a closed state to an open state ,

By the lateral movement of the rack, switching between the following states:

a state in which the convex portion is not located on the lower side of the first valve and the second valve and the first valve and the second valve are closed;

a state in which the convex portion is located on the lower side of the first valve and the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed;

The convex portion is located on the lower side of the second valve, and the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened.

According to the present invention, the state in which the first valve and the second valve are closed, the state in which the first valve is open and the second valve is closed, and the state in which the first valve is closed can be easily and reliably formed simply by moving the rack provided with the convex portion. and the second valve is open. Therefore, the opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve can be performed reliably only by controlling the movement of the rack.

Also includes a sensor for detecting the liquid level of the liquid in the main body tank,

The amount of liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank via the first valve is calculated based on the change in the liquid level detected by the sensor.

According to the present invention, the amount of liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank can be accurately detected based on the change in the liquid level detected by the sensor, so that the amount of liquid supplied to the liquid container can be reliably supplied.

In addition, the ice maker of the present invention is characterized by comprising:

the liquid storage tank;

the liquid container;

the flow path;

cooled rod parts;

a supply/discharge pump disposed on the path of the flow path; and

a control part, which controls the first valve, the second valve and the supply/discharge pump;

Through the control of the control unit, the following steps are implemented:

A liquid supply step for an auxiliary tank, in which, by controlling the first valve in an open and closed state and returning it to close, an amount of liquid required for one ice-making process is supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank;

a liquid supply step of the liquid container, in this step, the liquid in the auxiliary tank is supplied into the liquid container by controlling the operation of the liquid supply/discharge pump on the liquid supply side;

an intermittent ice-making step in which a state in which a predetermined region of the rod-shaped member from a tip portion is immersed in the liquid contained in the liquid container and a state in which the predetermined region is not submerged in the liquid are repeatedly formed;

The liquid container draining step, in this step, the liquid in the liquid container is returned to the auxiliary tank by controlling the operation of the liquid supply/discharge pump on the liquid discharging side;

An auxiliary container draining step in which the liquid returned from the liquid container in the auxiliary container is drained to a drain portion by controlling the second valve in an open and closed state.

According to the present invention, after the liquid container liquid supply step of supplying all the liquid required for one ice-making process from the auxiliary tank into the liquid container is performed, the predetermined area where the rod-shaped member is repeatedly formed is immersed in the liquid of the liquid container. Because of the intermittent ice-making step in the state of being in a state of being free from immersion in the liquid of the liquid container, the liquid in the liquid storage tank will not flow into the liquid container due to the siphon phenomenon, and transparent ice can be produced. In addition, after the intermittent ice making step, the auxiliary tank draining step of discharging the liquid containing impurities returned to the auxiliary tank is performed, so that it is possible to always use fresh liquid in the main tank for ice making.

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid storage tank capable of reliably preventing liquid from flowing out into a liquid container located below due to a siphon phenomenon, and an ice maker including the liquid storage tank. Another object of the present invention is to provide a liquid storage tank that can finally discard residual liquid that may contain more impurities, and an ice maker including the liquid storage tank.

Description of drawings

1A is a diagram schematically showing an ice making process of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a diagram showing that a liquid container is located at an ice making position.

1B is a view schematically showing an ice making process of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a view showing that the liquid container is located at a non-ice making position.

FIG. 1C is a diagram schematically showing an ice making process of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention, and in particular, a diagram showing that the liquid container is located at a retracted position.

FIG. 2A is a diagram schematically showing the ice maker in the case of including a general liquid storage tank constituted by only one chamber.

FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically showing the ice maker in the case of including the liquid storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

3A is a diagram schematically illustrating a liquid storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a diagram illustrating an open state of the first valve.

FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a liquid storage tank according to an embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a diagram showing an open state of the second valve.

4A is a diagram showing a state in the middle of attaching a detachable portion including a main body case and an auxiliary case to a fixed portion in the reservoir tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

4B is a diagram showing a state in which the detachable portion including the main body case and the auxiliary case is attached to the fixed portion in the liquid storage tank according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a block diagram showing an example of a control structure of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a flowchart showing an example of control processing of the ice maker according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the liquid storage tank and the ice maker described below are apparatuses for embodying the technical idea of this invention, and unless there is specific description, this invention is not limited to the following apparatuses. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are sometimes attached to components having the same function. For the sake of clarity, the sizes, positional relationships, and the like of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated in some cases. In the following description and drawings, it is assumed that the liquid storage tank and the ice maker are installed on a horizontal plane, and the vertical direction is shown. The figures show that the liquid level in the tank and the liquid container is oriented in the horizontal direction in the figure.

(Ice maker of one embodiment)

1A to 1C are diagrams schematically showing an ice making process of an ice maker according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1A shows the liquid container at the ice making position, and FIG. 1B shows the liquid container at the non-ice making position. For the ice position, Figure 1C shows the liquid container in the retreat position.

First, an outline of the ice maker 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C .

The ice maker 2 of the present embodiment includes: a cooling unit 10 capable of freezing liquid to generate ice; a liquid container 20 capable of storing the liquid; a moving mechanism 22 for rotating the liquid container 20; and a liquid storage tank 50 for storing There is a liquid; and a flow path 90 having a supply/drain pump 92 that supplies the liquid in the tank 50 to the liquid container 20 and returns the liquid in the liquid container 20 to the tank 50 . The liquid storage tank 50 is provided above the liquid container 20 .

The ice maker 2 of the present embodiment is installed in, for example, a box of a refrigerator, and supplies cold air generated by a cooling system of the refrigerator. The ice maker 2 also includes a control portion 100 (see FIG. 5 ) that controls the components of the ice maker 2 . The liquid used for freezing to generate ice may be any liquid represented by drinking water.

The cooling unit 10 includes cooling fins 12 , a metal plate 14 , and a rod-shaped member 16 from the upper side to the lower side. The cooling portion 10 has a structure in which a plurality of cooling fins 12 are erected on a metal plate 14, and the plurality of cooling fins 12 are arranged substantially parallel to each other at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, a plurality of rod-shaped members 16 are attached to the lower surface of the plate-shaped metal plate 14 .

The cold air generated by the cooling system of the refrigerator flows between the cooling fins 12 of the cooling unit 10 to cool the cooling unit 10 . The cooling fins 12 cool the metal plate 14 by thermal conduction, and further cool the rod-shaped member 16 attached to the metal plate 14 to a temperature below freezing point. The cooling fins 12 , the metal plates 14 , and the rod-shaped members 16 constituting the cooling unit 10 are all formed of metals with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum and copper. The cooling fins 12 are thin plate-like members having a substantially rectangular planar shape. The metal plate 14 is a plate-like member having a substantially rectangular planar shape. The plurality of rod-shaped members 16 are attached to the lower surface of the metal plate 14 so as to extend downward from the base end portion to the distal end portion.

The liquid container 20 is formed of, for example, a resin material having elasticity. The liquid container 20 has a liquid storage region R surrounded by a bottom surface portion and a side wall portion erected from the bottom surface portion. The upper part of the liquid storage area R is opened. The liquid container 20 is rotated by the moving mechanism 22, and can take the ice-making position shown in FIG. 1A , the non-ice-making position shown in FIG. 1B , and the retracted position shown in FIG. 1C .

When performing the ice making process, first, a liquid container supply step of supplying the liquid in the tank 50 to the liquid container 20 by the supply/discharge pump 92 is performed. When the liquid container 20 shown in FIG. 1A is located at the ice making position, the rod-shaped member 16 of the cooling unit 10 is inserted into the liquid storage region R through the opening in the upper portion of the liquid container 20 . Thereby, a predetermined region from the tip portion of the rod-shaped member 16 is immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 20 . Thereby, ice is generated around the predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 . After a predetermined ice-making time has elapsed, the moving mechanism 22 is driven to move the liquid container 20 to the non-ice-making position shown in FIG. 1B . Thereby, a predetermined area of the rod-shaped member 16 is exposed (not soaked) from the liquid in the liquid container 20 . Then, the moving mechanism 22 is driven again to return the liquid container 20 to the ice making position shown in FIG. 1A .

By performing the intermittent ice-making step of controlling the movement of the liquid container 20 to the ice-making position and the non-ice-making position a plurality of times, ice is produced while extruding impurities from the inside to the outside by the direct cooling of the rod-shaped member 16 . Thereby, transparent ice free from impurities can be produced.

When a series of intermittent ice-making steps are completed, a liquid container draining step of returning the liquid in the liquid container 20 to the liquid storage tank 50 by the supply/draining pump 92 is performed. Then, the moving mechanism 22 is driven to move the liquid container 20 shown in FIG. 1C to the retracted position. In the retracted position, there is no liquid container on the underside of the rod-shaped member 16 . In this retracted position, the deicing heater 18 provided inside the rod-shaped member 16 is operated. Thereby, the contact portion of the generated ice which is in contact with the rod-shaped member 16 can be dissolved, and the ice can be dropped from the rod-shaped member 16 . Through such a deicing step, the generated ice can be stored in the ice storage container provided on the lower side of the rod-shaped member 16 . Thus, the one-time ice-making process ends.

(reservoir)

FIG. 2A is a diagram schematically showing the ice maker 2 ′ in the case of including a normal storage tank TA composed of only one chamber. FIG. 2B is a diagram schematically showing the ice maker 2 in a case where the liquid storage tank 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention is included.

In the illustrated ice maker 2 (2'), the liquid container 20 (20') provided below the liquid storage tank 50 (TA) and the liquid container 20 (20') pass through the flow path 90 (90') Connected to supply the liquid in the tank 50 (TA) to the liquid container 20 (20') through the supply/discharge pump 92 (92'). With such a height difference, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 50 (50') can be efficiently supplied to the liquid container 20 (20'). In addition, the liquid in the liquid container 20 (20') in use can be prevented from flowing back to the liquid storage tank 50 (50') due to the siphon phenomenon.

At this time, in the case of including the normal tank TA composed of only one chamber as shown in FIG. 2A, since the flow path 90' is filled with liquid, the supply/drain pump 92' does not operate even though the liquid supply/discharge pump 92' is not operated. The phenomenon that the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank TA flows into the liquid container 20 ′ will also occur due to the siphon principle (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 2A ).

In order to cope with this problem, as shown in FIG. 2B , the liquid storage tank 50 of the present embodiment includes: a main body tank 56 which stores liquid; a first valve 70 which is provided at a lower part of the main body tank 56 ; and an auxiliary tank 58 which It is provided on the lower side of the first valve 70 and is connected to the flow path 90 via the supply/drain pipe 74 . Of the liquid stored in the main body tank 56, by opening and closing the first valve 70 in one ice making process, only the amount of liquid stored in the main body tank 56 to be supplied to the liquid container 20 in one ice making process , it will be supplied from the main tank 56 to the auxiliary tank 58 . In this state, by operating the liquid supply/discharge pump 92 on the liquid supply side, the liquid in the auxiliary tank 58 can be supplied into the liquid container 20 via the flow path 90 .

Since the end of the supply/drain pipe 74 which is attached to the auxiliary tank 58 and communicates with the flow path 90 is opened near the bottom of the auxiliary tank 58 , most of the liquid supplied from the main tank 56 can be supplied into the liquid container 20 . Therefore, after the supply/discharge pump 92 is stopped, the liquid does not flow from the auxiliary tank 58 to the liquid container 20 via the flow path 90 . Since the main body tank 56 is not directly connected to the liquid container 20 , the liquid stored in the main body tank 56 does not flow out into the liquid container 20 .

As described above, in the liquid storage tank 50 of the present embodiment, the main tank 56 in which the liquid is stored is not directly connected to the liquid container 20 , but from the main tank 56 to the auxiliary tank 58 connected to the liquid container 20 via the flow path 90 Since the liquid supplied to the liquid container 20 is supplied, after the liquid is supplied to the liquid container 20 , the liquid flowing out to the liquid container due to the siphon phenomenon does not remain in the auxiliary tank 58 .

Therefore, it is possible to provide the liquid storage tank 50 that can reliably prevent the liquid from flowing out to the liquid container 20 located below due to the siphon phenomenon.

(Configuration of the tank according to one embodiment of the present invention)

FIG. 3A is a view schematically showing the tank 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a view showing a state where the first valve 70 is in an open state. FIG. 3B is a view schematically showing the tank 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and particularly a view showing a state where the second valve 72 is in an open state. Next, the structure of the liquid storage tank 50 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B .

The reservoir tank 50 has a second valve 72 provided in the lower part of the auxiliary tank 58 in addition to the main body tank 56 and the auxiliary tank 58 connected via the first valve 70 . The lower side of the second valve 72 is connected to the drain portion. When the liquid supplied from the main tank 56 to the auxiliary tank 58 is supplied from the auxiliary tank 58 to the liquid container 20, ice is produced through the intermittent ice making step as described above, and after the intermittent ice making step is completed, the unfrozen liquid is The auxiliary tank 58 is returned from the liquid container 20 .

In the reservoir tank 50 of the present embodiment, by opening the second valve 72, the liquid returned to the auxiliary tank 58 can be drained to the drain portion. As a result, the liquid returning from the liquid container 20 that may contain many impurities can be discharged. Therefore, in the subsequent ice making process, the liquid container 20 can be filled with the liquid with less impurities in the main body tank 56 .

The structure of the reservoir tank 50 according to the present embodiment will be described in more detail. The main body tank 56 , the auxiliary tank 58 , the first valve 70 , the second valve 72 , and the supply/drain pipe 74 constitute the main body tank 50 , which corresponds to the reservoir tank 50 . Detachable part 52 of the upper part.

The movable portion 70A of the first valve 70 and the movable portion 72A of the second valve 72 are respectively biased from top to bottom by springs to be in a closed state. The movable portion 70A of the first valve 70 and the movable portion 72A of the second valve 72 are respectively provided to extend to the lower part of the detachable portion 52 .

A fixed portion 54 corresponding to a lower member of the tank 50 is provided on the lower side of the detachable portion 52 . The fixed portion 54 includes a drive motor 60 and a laterally extending rack 62 . The rack 62 is moved laterally by the drive motor 60 . More specifically, the pinion 60A is attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor 60 , and the rack teeth 64 are formed at the lower part of the rack 62 . The rack 62 can be moved left and right by the driving force of the drive motor 60 by the rack and pinion mechanism including the pinion 60A and the rack teeth 64 .

The upper portion of the rack 62 has a convex portion 62A and a concave portion 62B, and a link is formed between the convex portion 62A and the concave portion 62B and between the convex portion 62A and the distal end of the rack 62 by an inclined portion. FIG. 3A shows a case where the convex portion 62A of the rack 62 is located on the lower side of the first valve 70 . The convex portion 62A pushes up the movable portion 70A of the first valve 70 through the movable portion 70B provided on the fixed portion 54 . Thereby, the first valve 70 which is in the closed state by the urging force of the spring becomes the open state against the urging force of the spring.

When the rack 62 is moved from the state shown in FIG. 3A to the right side in the drawing by the driving motor 60 , the concave portion 62B is formed to be located on the lower side of the first valve 70 , and the convex portion 62A is formed to be located between the first valve 70 and the second valve 70 . state between valve 72 . Thereby, the first valve 70 , which is in the open state by pushing up the convex portion 62A, returns to the closed state by the urging force of the spring.

At this time, since the rack 62 does not yet exist on the lower side of the second valve 72, the second valve 72 is maintained in a closed state by the urging force of the spring.

Further, when the motor 60 is driven to move the rack 62 to the right in the drawing, as shown in FIG. 3B , the convex portion 62A is located on the lower side of the second valve 72 . As a result, the convex portion 62A pushes up the movable portion 72A of the second valve 72 via the movable portion 72B provided in the fixed portion 54 . Thereby, the second valve 72 which is in the closed state by the urging force of the spring becomes the open state against the urging force of the spring.

At this time, since the state where the recessed portion 62B is located on the lower side of the first valve 70 is maintained, the first valve 70 is maintained in a closed state by the biasing force of the spring.

By reversing the drive motor 60, the opened second valve 72 can be closed and the closed first valve 70 can be opened. When the rack 62 is moved, the

movable parts

70A, 70B, 72A, and 72B move up and down along the inclined surface connecting the concave part 62B, the convex part 62A, and the distal end of the rack 62 . Thereby, the opening and closing of the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 can be performed smoothly.

As described above, by moving the rack 62 in the lateral direction by the drive motor 60, the convex portion 62A can be located under the first valve 70 and the first valve 70 is opened and the second valve 72 is closed in a state where the convex portion 62A is not located The lower side of the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 and the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 are closed, the convex portion 62A is located on the lower side of the second valve 72, the first valve 70 is closed, and the second valve 72 is open. switch between states.

Therefore, the opening and closing of the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 can be performed reliably only by controlling the movement of the rack 62 .

As the drive motor 60, a stepping motor capable of detecting a rotational position may be used. By controlling the rotation of the stepping motor, the position of the rack 62 moved in the lateral direction by the rack and pinion mechanism can be easily controlled, so that the opening and closing of the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 can be easily controlled. However, it is not limited to the case where a stepping motor is used as the drive motor 60 , and for example, when a sensor capable of detecting the position of the rack 62 is included, a normal motor may be used.

(Sensor for liquid level detection)

4A is a view showing a state in the middle of attaching the detachable part 52 having the main body tank 56 and the auxiliary tank 58 to the fixed part 54 in the tank 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the detachable portion 52 including the main body case 56 and the auxiliary case 58 is attached to the fixed portion 54 in the reservoir tank 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B , the liquid storage tank 50 of the present embodiment has: a fixed part 54 on the lower side, which is provided with a drive motor 60 requiring wiring; and a removable part 52 on the upper side, which is mainly composed of the main body tank 56 and auxiliary box 58, no wiring is required. The fixing part 54 is fixed to the lower surface of the refrigerator compartment. On the other hand, the detachable portion 52 is attached to the fixed portion 54 so as to be detachably attached to the fixed portion 54 . Thereby, when the liquid in the main body tank 56 is insufficient, the detachable part 52 can be removed from the fixing part 54 , and the liquid can be easily replenished into the main body tank 56 . In addition, in order to attach and detach the detachable portion 52 , it is necessary to attach and detach the supply/drain pipe 74 included in the tank 50 and the hose constituting a part of the flow path 90 . For example, by attaching a quick coupler to the end of the supply/drain pipe 74 and the end of the hose, both can be easily attached and detached.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the liquid level sensor 80 based on the electrostatic capacitance is included, and the electrode part 82 of the liquid level sensor 80 is attached to the fixing bracket 86 via the hinge part 84 . A torsion spring is included on the hinge portion 84 , and the electrode portion 82 is urged clockwise in the drawing with respect to the fixed bracket 86 . Thereby, when the detached detachable part 52 is pushed to the left side of the figure to slide on the upper surface of the fixed part 54 (see the dashed arrow in FIG. 4A ), the detachable part 52 is fixed to the fixed part 54 In the fixed position (see FIG. 4B ), the electrode part 82 of the liquid level sensor 80 is arranged along the outer surface of the main body case 56 and is in close contact with the outer surface of the main body case 56 by the force of the torsion spring.

In such a liquid level sensor 80 , when liquid enters the main body tank 56 , the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode portion 82 changes, and by detecting this, the liquid level level of the main body tank 56 can be accurately detected. Therefore, the amount of liquid flowing from the main tank 56 to the auxiliary tank 58 via the first valve 70 can be accurately detected based on the change in the liquid level of the main tank 56 detected by the liquid level sensor 80. Therefore, the amount of liquid to be supplied can be accurately supplied to the liquid container 20 .

In the case where the water supply tank is empty by the supply/drain pump as in the past, when there is water in the auxiliary tank but no water in the main tank, the detection is performed after the auxiliary tank becomes empty due to the detection of the main tank being empty. , so timely detection cannot be performed.

However, if the liquid level sensor 80 is provided, it is possible to reliably grasp that the liquid in the main body tank 56 is empty, and that the remaining amount of the liquid in the main body tank 56 is significantly reduced. Thereby, the liquid can be reliably supplemented and supplied to the main body tank 56 .

However, the liquid level sensor 80 is not limited to the above-mentioned electrostatic capacitance type. For example, a component with a magnet may be placed in the main body case 56 , and the outer magnet may follow the up and down movement of the float when liquid enters or exits, and the potentiometer may be moved by the magnetic force of the magnet for detection. In addition, the liquid level height can also be detected by the reflected wave of light.

(control unit)

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a control structure of the ice maker 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the control part 100 of the ice maker 2 of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 5. FIG.

The control unit 100 can supply the liquid from the liquid storage tank 50 to the liquid container 20 by controlling the liquid supply/discharge pump 92 and driving it to the liquid supply side. Similarly, the control unit 100 can return the liquid from the liquid container 20 to the tank 50 by controlling the liquid supply/discharge pump 92 and driving it to the liquid discharge side.

The control unit 100 can move the liquid container 20 to the ice making position, the non-ice making position, and the retreat position by controlling the driving of the motor of the moving mechanism 22 to rotate the liquid container 20 . The control unit 100 can operate (generate heat) and stop the operation of the deicing heater 18 by controlling the power supply of the deicing heater 18 . In addition, the control unit 100 can perform the opening and closing of the first valve 70 and the opening and closing of the second valve 72 by controlling the driving of the drive motor 60 of the tank 50 .

(Control Processing)

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of control processing in the ice maker 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the control process performed by the control part 100 of the ice maker 2 of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 6. FIG.

Here, the first valve 70 and the second valve 72 are in a closed state, and the liquid container 20 is located at the ice making position as an initial state. First, the control unit 100 drives the drive motor 60 of the tank 50, moves the rack 62, and opens the first valve 70 in the closed state. Then, when the amount of liquid required for one ice making process flows from the main tank 56 into the auxiliary tank 58 via the first valve 70, the drive motor 60 is driven to close the open first valve 70 (step S2). Thereby, the auxiliary tank supply step is performed.

The timing of opening the first valve 70 and then closing the first valve 70 can be determined based on the change in the liquid level of the main body tank 56 detected by the liquid level sensor 80. In addition, the timing of closing the first valve 70 may also be determined by time management of opening the first valve 70 .

As the liquid amount X required for one ice-making process, it is assumed that the number of rod-shaped members 16 is N, the weight of ice produced by one rod-shaped member 16 is M, and the unfrozen portion finally discharged is 30%. Then it can be calculated by X=N×M×(1+0.3).

By direct cooling of the rod-shaped member 16 , ice is generated while extruding impurities from the inside to the outside. In addition, a large amount of impurities are contained in the liquid of the non-frozen portion that is not iced. Finally, the second valve 72 is opened, and the remaining liquid is discharged.

Next, by controlling the supply/discharge pump 92 to operate on the liquid supply side, the liquid container supply step is performed, that is, the liquid in the auxiliary tank 58 is supplied to the liquid container 20 in an amount X of liquid required for one ice making process. At this time, the liquid container 20 is supplied with all the liquid within the suction range of the supply/drain pipe 74 opened near the bottom of the auxiliary tank 58, and the operation of the supply/drain pump 92 is stopped (step S4). Thereby, the predetermined area|region from the front-end|tip part of the cooled rod-shaped member 16 is immersed in the liquid accommodated in the liquid container 20 located in the ice-making position. Then, this state is maintained until time T elapses (step S6).

During this time, ice is generated around a predetermined area of the rod-shaped member 16 . Then, when the time T has elapsed, the moving mechanism 22 is operated to move the liquid container 20 from the ice making position to the non-ice making position (step S8). As a result, a predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 is exposed from the liquid contained in the liquid container 20 .

Next, the moving mechanism 22 is operated again to move the liquid container 20 from the non-ice making position to the ice making position (step S10). Thereby, the predetermined area|region of the rod-shaped member 16 is immersed in the liquid accommodated in the liquid container 20 again. Then, it returns to step S6 which waits for the time T to pass. Such control from step S6 to step S10 is repeated n times. Thus, an intermittent ice-making step in which a predetermined area of the rod-shaped member 16 from the tip portion is immersed in the liquid accommodated in the liquid container 20 for a predetermined time T and a predetermined area not immersed in the liquid container 20 are repeatedly formed. state in liquid.

After the intermittent ice-making step is completed, the liquid-container-draining step of returning the liquid in the liquid container 20 to the auxiliary tank 58 is performed by controlling the operation of the supply/drain pump 92 on the liquid-draining side. At this time, all the liquid in the suction range of the supply/drain pipe 90A opened near the bottom of the liquid container 20 is returned to the auxiliary tank 58, and the operation of the supply/drain pump 92 is stopped (step S12).

Next, the drive motor 60 of the tank 50 is driven, the rack 62 is moved, and the closed second valve 72 is opened. Thereby, the remaining liquid that has returned to the auxiliary tank 58 and is not frozen in the intermittent ice making step is discharged to the liquid discharge portion. Thereby, the auxiliary tank discharge step is performed. After a sufficient time to discharge the liquid, the drive motor 60 is driven to close the second valve 72 in the open state (step S14).

After the liquid in the liquid container 20 is returned to the auxiliary tank 58 in step S12, the moving mechanism 22 is operated to move the liquid container 20 from the ice making position to the retreat position (step S16). As a result, the liquid container 20 does not exist on the lower side of the rod-shaped member 16 . Then, the deicing heater 18 provided in the rod-shaped member 16 is operated. Thereby, the deicing step of melting the contact portion of the generated ice with the rod-shaped member 16 and dropping the generated ice from the rod-shaped member 16 is performed. Through the deicing step, ice can be stored in the ice storage container provided on the lower side of the rod-shaped member 16 . Thus, the one-time ice-making process ends.

As described above, after the liquid container supply step of supplying all the liquid required for one ice making process from the auxiliary tank 58 into the liquid container 20 is performed, the predetermined area where the rod-shaped member 16 is repeatedly formed is immersed in the liquid container 20 . In the intermittent ice making step in the state of being in the liquid and not being immersed in the liquid of the liquid container 20, the liquid in the liquid storage tank 50 does not flow into the liquid container 20 due to the siphon phenomenon, and transparent ice can be produced. In addition, after the intermittent ice making step, the auxiliary tank draining step for draining the liquid containing impurities returned to the auxiliary tank 58 is performed, so that the fresh liquid in the main tank 56 can always be used for ice making.

(Other Embodiments)

In the above-described embodiment, the supply and discharge of liquid to and from the liquid container 20 are performed by one flow path 90 having the liquid supply/drain pump 92 , but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a flow path with a supply/drain pump and a flow path with a supply/drain pump may be included, respectively.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the liquid container 20 is moved by the moving mechanism 22 so that the predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 is immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 20 and the state is not immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 20. , but not limited to this. For example, by moving the rod-shaped member 16 side, or by moving both the liquid container 20 and the rod-shaped member 16, the predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 may be immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 20 and not immersed in the liquid. status.

Furthermore, without moving the liquid container 20 and the rod-shaped member 16, by supplying liquid from the liquid storage tank 50 to the liquid container 20, a predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 may be immersed in the liquid in the liquid container 20, and the liquid container 20 may be supplied from the liquid container 20. The liquid is returned to the liquid storage tank 50 , and a predetermined region of the rod-shaped member 16 is formed in a state in which the liquid in the liquid container 20 is not immersed.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described, the disclosure can be changed in the details of the configuration, the embodiment, the combination of the elements in the embodiment, the change of the order, etc. can be made without departing from the scope and scope of the invention as claimed. realized without thinking.

Claims

A liquid storage tank, the liquid storage tank is connected with a liquid container arranged below through a flow path, and is characterized in that, comprising:

main tank, storing liquid;

a first valve disposed at the lower part of the main body case; and

an auxiliary tank, provided on the lower side of the first valve, connected to the flow path,

By opening and closing the first valve, the amount of liquid supplied to the liquid container is supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank.
The liquid storage tank of claim 1, wherein:

It also includes a second valve, the second valve is arranged at the lower part of the auxiliary tank and is connected with the drain part on the lower side,

After the liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank is supplied from the auxiliary tank to the liquid container through the flow path, and finally returned from the liquid container to the auxiliary tank through the flow path, the second valve is opened to return the liquid to the auxiliary tank. The liquid to the auxiliary tank, which may contain more impurities, is discharged to the liquid discharge part.
The liquid storage tank of claim 2, wherein:

It also includes a rack, the rack extends in the transverse direction, and the upper part is provided with a convex part, and the convex part pushes up the movable parts of the first valve and the second valve to change from a closed state to an open state ,

By the lateral movement of the rack, switching between the following states:

The convex portion is not located on the lower side of the first valve and the second valve and the first valve and the second valve are closed;

a state in which the convex portion is located on the lower side of the first valve and the first valve is opened and the second valve is closed;

The convex portion is located on the lower side of the second valve, and the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened.
The liquid storage tank according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that,

Also includes a sensor for detecting the liquid level of the liquid in the main body tank,

The amount of liquid supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank via the first valve is calculated based on the change in the liquid level detected by the sensor.
The liquid storage tank according to claim 4, wherein the liquid storage tank comprises a fixed part located on the lower side and a removable part located on the upper side, the main body tank, the auxiliary tank, the first valve, the second valve The valve and the supply/discharge pipe constitute a detachable part of the liquid storage tank, and the detachable part is detachably mounted on the fixed part.
The liquid storage tank according to claim 5, wherein the liquid level sensor includes an electrode portion, the fixing portion is provided with a hinge portion and a fixing bracket, and the electrode portion is mounted on the fixing bracket via the hinge portion. .
The liquid storage tank according to claim 6, wherein the hinge part is provided with a torsion spring, and when the detachable part slides on the upper surface of the fixed part and is fixed to the fixed position of the fixed part, The electrode part is arranged along the outer surface of the main body case, and is closely attached to the outer surface of the main body case by the force of the torsion spring.
The liquid storage tank according to claim 7, wherein the fixing part further comprises a drive motor and the rack extending laterally, and the rack is moved laterally by the drive motor.
The liquid storage tank according to claim 8, wherein a pinion gear is attached to the drive shaft of the drive motor, and rack teeth are formed at the lower part of the rack, and the pinion gear and the teeth are formed by the pinion gear and the teeth. The rack and pinion mechanism composed of rack teeth can move the rack left and right by the driving force of the drive motor.
An ice maker, characterized in that it includes

The liquid storage tank of any one of claims 2 to 9;

the liquid container;

the flow path;

cooled rod parts;

a supply/discharge pump disposed on the path of the flow path; and

a control part, which controls the first valve, the second valve and the supply/discharge pump;

Through the control of the control unit, the following steps are implemented:

an auxiliary tank liquid supply step, in which, by controlling the first valve in the open and closed state and returning it to close, the amount of liquid required for one ice-making process is supplied from the main tank to the auxiliary tank;

a liquid supply step of the liquid container, in this step, the liquid in the auxiliary tank is supplied into the liquid container by controlling the operation of the liquid supply/discharge pump on the liquid supply side;

an intermittent ice-making step in which a state in which a predetermined region of the rod-shaped member from a tip portion is immersed in the liquid contained in the liquid container and a state in which the predetermined region is not submerged in the liquid are repeatedly formed;

a liquid container draining step, in which the liquid in the liquid container is returned to the auxiliary tank by controlling the supply/discharge pump to operate on the liquid draining side;

The auxiliary container discharge step in which the liquid returned from the liquid container in the auxiliary container is discharged to the liquid discharge part by controlling the second valve in the open and closed state.