JPH01193570A - Ice making device for refrigerator and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an ice making time for clear ice as well as normal ice from being prolonged by disposing a separating plate having multiple holes in it under a cooling plate, and forming a first air passage between the cooling plate and separating plate and a second air passage between the separating plate and a second ice making tray. CONSTITUTION:Cold air cooled in a cooling unit 5 flows into a first air passage from an air inlet 28 by the forced draft of a fan 6 to cool a cooling plate 13, and a first ice making tray 15 is cooled indirectly from under. At the same time, the first ice making tray 15 is heated from above by a heater 11 via a heating plate 12. Thus, the freezing gradually advances from the bottom to make clear ice. Since the leading end of the first air passage is closed by the L-shaped bend of the separating plate 23, cold air passes through multiple small holes 27 in the separating plate 23 to enter a second air passage 26, i.e. the space above a second ice making tray 16. As the cold air passes through the second air passage 26, the water surface in the second ice making tray 16 is cooled to make normal ice.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice-making device that is placed in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator or the like and is particularly capable of producing clear water.

Conventional technology Conventionally, in household refrigerators, etc., an ice making device that stores all the ice trays is placed in one section of the freezer compartment, and the water in the ice tray is frozen by the cooling effect of the cold air flowing through the ice making device. It is common practice to generate on ice.

However, with this ice generation method, when water is generated, the water in the ice tray progresses from the contact surface between the ice tray and the water and the contact surface between the cold air and water to the center. As a result, gaseous components dissolved in the water and impurities are trapped in the center of the ice, resulting in cloudy, opaque water in the center, which is sensually suitable for beverages such as whisky. It wasn't something I was looking for.

Therefore, the need for transparent ice has existed since the past, and the equipment for producing it is shown in Figures 4 to 6, for example.
The method shown in the figure is being considered. The contents will be explained below according to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, which is divided by a partition wall 2 into a freezing compartment 3 at the top and a refrigerating compartment 4 at the bottom. Reference numeral 6 indicates a cooler for the refrigeration cycle, and 6 indicates a forced ventilation blower, which are connected to the freezer compartment 3, respectively.
is located on the back of the.

7f"1. It is an ice-making device placed at the bottom of the freezer compartment 3. It is framed by a box body 7a, and has a first ice-making compartment 8 for producing transparent ice in the upper stage and normal ice in the lower stage. A second ice making chamber 9 is provided for producing ice.

The first ice-making compartment 8 is surrounded by a heat insulating material 10 on the entire outer wall except for the bottom and front surface, and there is an aluminum heating plate 12 with a heater 11 on the back surface on the top surface, and an aluminum heating plate 12 on the bottom surface. Aluminum cooling plates 13 are respectively arranged. Reference numeral 14 indicates a ventilation passage formed at the lower part of the cooling plate 13, and reference numerals 15 and 18 indicate a ventilation passage formed in the lower part of the cooling plate 13, and reference numerals 15 and 18 indicate the first ice making chamber 8 and the second ice making chamber 9, respectively.
ice tray and a second ice tray. Further, 1 is a discharge duct for forcing cold air cooled by the cooler 5 into the ice making device 7 by the blower e, and a discharge port 18 formed at the lower end is used to connect the ventilation passage 14 and the It communicates with the inside of the second ice making chamber 9. Reference numeral 19 denotes a return duct for returning the cold air discharged into the freezer compartment 3 to the cooler 6. Further, reference numeral 20 is a transparent water ice making switch, which is constructed so that when the switch is fully turned on, the heater 11 is energized for a predetermined period of time.

In this configuration, when the cold air cooled by the cooling #6 is supplied to the freezer compartment 3 and the refrigerator compartment 4 by the forced draft action of the blower 6, it is simultaneously supplied to the ice making device 7 through the discharge port 18 of the discharge duct 17. It is discharged into the ice making mold 9 and the ventilation passage 14 of No. 2. The cold air guided into the second ice-making compartment 9 directly cools the second ice-making tray 16, and the water inside is sequentially frozen from the water surface and the remaining water that comes into contact with the second ice-making tray 16. Generate normal ice. However, as mentioned above, the ice produced using this strain is cloudy and does not become transparent. On the other hand, the cold air guided into the ventilation passage 14 is cooled by the cooling plate 1st. Therefore, when the user stores the first ice making tray 16 filled with water in the first ice making chamber 8 in order to make transparent ice and turns on the ice making switch 20, the heater 11 is exposed from the top surface of the first ice making tray 16. A heating action is started via the heating plate 12, and a cooling or freezing action is started via the cooling plate 13 by the cold air flowing through the ventilation passage 14 from the lower surface of the pivot. Since it is entirely covered with the heat insulating material 10, it is not affected by the cooling from the freezing chamber 3, and the freezing action progresses in one direction from the bottom surface to the top surface. Since this freezing effect is indirect cooling via the cooling plate 13 and also includes the heating effect by the heater 11 whose capacity is set in advance, the freezing speed becomes sufficiently slow. Therefore, the speed at which the water moves on the frozen surface is slower than the upward diffusion speed of the gaseous components in the water, and the chances of the formation of bubbles due to the dissolved concentration of the gaseous components in the water near the frozen surface are reduced. Furthermore, even if air bubbles are generated, the freezing speed is slow, so the generated air bubbles are not trapped in the water.

In this way, if the freezing speed is controlled to approximately 3.7 hours or less, the gaseous components in the water will be degassed from the ice surface to the outside air, and the final ice that will be formed will contain almost no air bubbles. Obtains clear ice.

Further, the heater 11 is automatically de-energized after a predetermined time has elapsed, with some margin given to the time required to complete ice making.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in this way, the cooling plate 13 is cooled by the cold air flowing through the ventilation path 14, and the transparent ice tray of the first ice tray 16 and the second ice tray 16 are directly cooled. It is cooled and normal ice making is performed at the same time. In this case, when normal ice making is performed using the second ice tray 16 below the first ice tray 16 while the first ice tray 16 is making clear water, the thermal effect due to the water temperature in the second ice tray 16 is Since the temperature of the cooling plate 13 and the cooling plate 13 become high and the cooling capacity decreases, there is a problem that the display speed in the first ice making tray 16 is unnecessarily slow and the ice making time becomes long. On the other hand, until the water in the second ice tray 16 freezes.

Water vapor is generated from the ice surface, and the water is transferred to the cooling plate 1.
The cooling plate 13 may adhere to the bottom surface of the cooling plate 13 and form frost or ice.
As a result, this was also the first ice tray 1.
There was a problem in that the ice making time of No. 5 became long.

In addition, problems such as thermal effects, frost formation, and freezing on the cooling plate 13 due to ice making in the second ice tray 16 can be avoided in the ventilation path 1.
4, the cooling plate 13 and the second ice tray 16 are narrow in the height direction.
The closer the distance between the two, the more noticeable it becomes. Therefore, in order to soften the inclination 9 even a little, it is possible to make the ventilation passage 14 wider in the height direction.
In this case, the distance between the cooling plate 13 and the second ice tray 16 becomes large, making it difficult to sufficiently cool both at the same time. Normal ice making using the second ice tray 16 also had the problem that the ice making time for both ice trays was long.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the ice-making time of the transparent water in the first ice tray does not increase even if the entire ice making process is performed in the second ice tray. Our aim is to provide complete ice making equipment that will not prolong the ice making time.

Means for Solving All Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an ice making device such as a refrigerator according to the present invention is provided with a partition plate having a large number of pores M at a predetermined interval below the cooling plate. A first ventilation path flows from the rear between the partition plate and the partition plate, and a first ventilation path flows between the partition plate and the second ice tray through a large number of pores provided in the partition plate. A second ventilation path that flows forward is entirely formed.

Function The present invention uses the above-mentioned phosphoric acid to cool the cold air flowing into the first ventilation passage from the rear to cool the cooling plate and make transparent water ice in the first ice tray, which is then provided on the partition plate. The large number of pores pass through the entire second ventilation path, and as the ice flows forward, it is cooled from the entire top surface of the second ice-making tray to make ice for ordinary water. The thermal influence of the water in the second water-making tray is blocked by the partition plate and hardly reaches the cooling plate, so that the cooling power of the cooling plate does not decrease. Furthermore, the generated water vapor is blocked by the partition plate and hardly acts on the cooling plate, so that the cooling power of the cooling plate is not reduced due to frost formation or freezing.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, a cold JK Sai ice making apparatus according to a 1% m example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. Incidentally, the same combinations as those in the prior art are indicated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

21 is an ice making device provided below the freezer compartment 3; a long box body 21;
The first one is framed by a and produces transparent ice in the upper layer.
The ice making chamber 22 is divided into sections. 23 is the cooling plate 13
It is a partition plate provided below at a predetermined interval, and has a large number of pores 27. The front end thereof is bent upward into an abbreviated shape and comes into contact with the bottom surface of the cooling plate 13. 24 is a second partition formed under the partition plate 23.
This is an ice-making compartment in which a second ice-making tray 16 is housed.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a first ventilation passage formed between the cooling plate 13 and the partition plate 23, and is configured so that cold air flows in from the rear of the box body 21a. Reference numeral 26 denotes a second ventilation passage formed below the partition plate 23 and above the second ice tray 1e, and a large number of pores 27 formed in the partition plate from the first ventilation passage 25. It is configured such that cold air is communicated through the box body and circulates to the front of the box body. 28 is the ice making device 2
A duct 17 led to the back side of the first ventilation passage 25
This is an air supply port that connects to and opens.

In such a combination, cold air cooled by the cooler 6 flows into the first ventilation passage 26 through the air supply port 28 through the duct 17 by the forced draft action of the blower 60. The cold air flowing through the first ventilation path 26 cools the cooling plate 13, and the first ice tray 16 is indirectly cooled from the lower surface. At the same time, heating is performed from the upper surface of the first ice tray 16 via the heating plate 12 by the heater 11, and a freezing action is gradually performed from the lower surface to produce transparent water. Since the front end of the first ventilation passage 25 is closed by bending the partition plate 23 into an abbreviated shape, the cold air flows toward the inner metal part of the first ventilation passage 26 and the partition plate 23 is closed. It passes through the large number of pores 27 and sequentially flows into the second ventilation passage 26, that is, the upper surface of the second ice tray 16.

While the cold air flows forward in the second ventilation path 26, the ice surface of the second ice tray 16 is cooled to produce normal water. At this time, all of the cold air flowing through the first ventilation passage 26 sequentially flows through the second ventilation passage 26 and is used to make ice in the second ice tray, so its cooling power is fully exerted. This makes it possible to make ice in a short time. Further, the cold air flowing through the second ventilation path 26 is discharged to the front of the ice making device 21 and returned to the cooling duct 19 cooling #6.

On the other hand, most of the water vapor generated during the freezing process of the water in the second ice tray 16 is blocked by the partition plate 23 and is discharged forward as it is. Therefore, the cooling plate 13 contains hot water vapor! As a result, the cooling plate 13 does not rise by -degrees. In addition, the cooling power of the cooling plate 13 does not decrease, and the time required to make ice from transparent water does not increase. In addition, the moisture in the steam is directly absorbed by the cooling plate 1.
3, N frost and freezing hardly reach the paper surface of the cooling plate 130. For this reason, the first ventilation passage 26″ft
The circulating cold air can directly cool the cooling plate 13 without being obstructed by a box or ice, the cooling power of the cooling plate 13 is not reduced, and the time required to make ice with clear water is not prolonged.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the ice-making apparatus such as a refrigerator of the present invention, even if normal ice-making is performed using the second ice-making tray while clear ice is being made using the first ice-making tray, the ice-making device such as a refrigerator of the present invention does not contain water from normal water. The cooling plate of the first ice tray is not affected by the heat of the water during the ice making process or the effects of frosting or freezing due to the generated water vapor, so the time required to make ice of transparent water using the first ice tray is not prolonged. is obtained.

At the same time, since the cold air that has cooled the cooling plate of the first ice tray can be used as a foil to cool the second ice tray, it also has the effect of making regular water ice in a short time and efficiently. It is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of an ice making device such as a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3181 is a perspective view of a partition plate, and Fig. 4 is Fig. 4 of the same Fig. 1. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with a conventional ice-making device, FIG. 6 is a front view of the ice-making device installed in the refrigerator shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6; 10...Insulating material, 11...Heater (heating means). 12...Heating plate, 13...Cooling plate, 1
6...First ice tray, 16...Second ice tray, 21...Ice making device, 21a...
・Box body, 22... first ice making compartment, 23...
Partition plate, 24...Second ice making compartment, 26...
...First ventilation path, 26...Second ventilation path, 2
7...Pore. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person10
-＠Heat material 10-11 Mochibe set 7 No-ku (ga l positive means) /2-First-order kakuyumi kari/6--$2/) Made plate 27--
#Trillion Figure 2? 3-I Cuff 12 and 27--Boiling hole Figure 3 10-47 Heat view Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] A box with an open front and bottom surface, a partition plate that partitions the inside of the box into upper and lower parts, a number of pores provided in the partition plate, and a cooling plate provided at a predetermined interval above the partition plate. , a first ice-making compartment divided into an upper part of the cooling plate, a second ice-making compartment divided into a lower part of the partition plate, and housed in the first ice-making compartment and placed on the cooling plate. a heating plate provided with a heating means such as a heater provided on the top surface of the first ice tray; and a heat insulating material disposed within the box body surrounding the first ice tray; A second ice tray stored in the second ice making chamber, a first ventilation path formed between the partition plate and the cooling plate and flowing from the rear of the box body, and a second ice tray stored in the second ice making chamber; a second ventilation path formed between the plate and the second ice tray, communicating with the first ventilation path through a number of pores provided in the partition plate and flowing toward the front of the box body; Ice-making equipment such as refrigerators.