JPH03181762A - Automatic ice making device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To get ice having a high degree of transparency by a method wherein a flexible ice making pan is pivotally supported at a frame of an ice making device arranged in a freezing chamber, the ice making pan can be turned by a driving force at a driving part and at the same time a cooling plate is resiliently held at a lower surface of the ice making pan while being closely contacted with a resilient member. CONSTITUTION:As ices 17 are formed, the ices are detected by a sensor, a motor of a driving box 12 is operated, a lid 10 is rotated around a lid shaft 23 through a driving gear and then the ice making pan 9 is rotated around an ice making pan shaft 18. One end of the ice making pan 9 is abutted against a stopper, a twisting force is added through a pivoting of the ice making pan 9, the ice making pan 9 is deformed, the ices 17 in the pan are removed and dropped into an ice storing box. At this time, a cooling plate 13 held in a close contacted state by a resilient force of a tension coil spring 24 at a lower surface of the ice making pan 9 is separately moved up and down as a separate member without being accompanied by the deformation of the ice making pan 9 by the resilient force of the tension coil spring 24. Due to this fact, even if a repetitive separation of ices is carried out, the cooling plate 13 is not twisted or deformed, and the cooling plate 13 is always closely contacted with and held at lower surface of the ice making pan 9, and water in the ice making pan 9 is cooled from only the lower part.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device for a refrigerator, and in particular,
The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device capable of forming transparent ice.

[Prior Art] As a conventional automatic ice making device that automatically forms ice in the freezing chamber of a refrigerator, there is one shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with a conventional automatic ice-making device, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the conventional automatic ice-making device, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 5.

In the figure, (1) is the refrigerator car body, (2) is the freezer compartment formed in the upper part of the refrigerator body (1), (3) is the refrigerator compartment formed in the lower part of the refrigerator body (1), (4), (5
) are a freezer compartment door attached to the opening of the freezer compartment (2) and a refrigerator compartment furnace attached to the opening of the refrigerator compartment (3), respectively.

(6) is a water bottle installed in the refrigerator compartment (3);
(7) is a water tank that stores water from the water bottle (6). (8) is an ice-making unit installed in the freezer compartment (2), which includes an ice-making tray (9), a lid body (10) that covers the frontage of the ice-making tray (9), and these ice-making trays (9). ), a frame (11) that supports the lid (10), a drive box (12), and a cooling plate (13) attached to the lower surface of the lid (10). (14) is a water supply pump that supplies water from the water storage tank (7) to the ice tray (9) through the water supply pipe (15).

(16) is a water storage box that is provided at the bottom of the ice making unit (8) so as to be freely drawn out and stores the ice (17) formed in the ice making tray (9).

The ice making book (9) is integrally molded with a flexible key material such as plastic having excellent low temperature resistance, and the inside thereof is divided into a plurality of sections so that the ice (17) can be formed into appropriately sized pieces. An ice tray shaft (18) is located in the center of the ice tray (9).
) is attached, one end of this ice making book shaft (18) is pivotally supported by the frame (11), and the other end enters the drive box (12) and is connected to a drive gear (not shown), and is driven by a motor (not shown). It is rotatable. As a result, the ice making book (9) can be rotated in the downward direction about the ice making tray shaft I- (18). Lid (10)
is formed by two sheets (one) and a lower plate (20) that comes into contact with the 1- side of the ice making +111 (9), and the lower plate (20)
A cord heater (21) that heats the lower plate (20) is fixed to the upper surface of the upper plate (19) and the lower plate (20).
0) is filled with a heat insulating material (22). Further, a lid shaft (23) is provided at one end of the fluid (10).
) is attached, one end of this lid shaft (23) is pivotally supported by the frame (11), and the other end enters the drive box (12) and is connected to a drive gear (not shown), and is driven by a motor (not shown). It is rotatable. As a result, the lid (10) rotates in the vertical direction about the lid shaft (23) to open and close the top surface of the ice-making booklet (9). Further, the cooling plate (13) is closely fixed to the lower surface of the ice tray (9), and is formed of a flat metal plate with good thermal conductivity.

In addition, the thermistor, each scale detection switch, and the ice tray (
9) There is a stopper etc. that allows you to release the ice by twisting it.
All illustrations are omitted.

Next, the operation of the conventional automatic ice making device configured as described above will be explained.

When supplying water to the ice making book (9), first fill the lid (10) with water.
is rotated upward about the lid shaft (23) by the motor and drive gear in the drive box (12), thereby opening the two sides of the ice making book (9). Here, when the water supply pump (14) is operated, water in the water supply bottle (6) is guided from the water storage tank (7) through the water supply pipe (15) into the ice making book (9).

Next, the motor in the drive box (12) is activated to rotate the lid (10) downward, and the lower plate (2) of the lid (10) is rotated downward.
0) is brought into contact with the top surface of the ice making book (9). Then, the lower surface of the ice book (9) is cooled by the cooling plate (13) to start freezing. In addition, at this time, the lower plate (2
0) is energized to the cord heater (21) to heat the two parts of the ice making book (9), so the water in the ice making book (9) is gradually cooled from the bottom, compared to the conventional method. The freezing time will be longer.

A detector detects the formation of ice (17) and sends a signal to the motor of the drive box (12). Then,
This motor operates and connects the lid shaft (
23) rotates, and as a result, the lid (10) opens into the ice tray (
9) Leave the top surface and rotate upward. Next, the ice-making book shaft (18) is rotated by the motor and drive gear of the drive box (12), and at the same time, the ice-making 1+11 (9) is rotated about the ice-making 1]11 shaft (18). Then, one end of the ice tray (9) comes into contact with a stopper (not shown), and as the ice book (9) continues to rotate, twisting force is applied, causing the ice (17) in the ice tray (9) to separate. It falls into the water storage box (16).

Then, after the ice tray (9) and the lid (10) are rotated back to their predetermined positions, water supply starts again, and each process of water supply, freezing, and ice removal is performed automatically in sequence.

By the way, the tap water used to form ice (17) contains 6 kinds of soluble salts and soluble gases, and if the water is cooled from each direction and the cooling rate is increased, the soluble salts will be removed. Since solidification occurs before precipitation or release of soluble gases to the outside, soluble salts remain inside and soluble gases are left behind in the form of enlarged bubbles. Further, when the crystals are rapidly applied from each direction as described above, the peripheral portion solidifies first and crystallization inside is delayed, resulting in non-uniform crystal formation.

Due to these, the peripheral part of the formed ice (17) is transparent, but the inside becomes cloudy and the transparency becomes low. However, as mentioned above, when the ice-making section 1 (9) is heated and gradually cooled from the bottom, the soluble salts and gases disappear before the periphery of the sides and top surface solidify. It is less likely to concentrate and precipitate in the upper part or scatter and become sealed inside. In addition, the long freezing time results in uniform crystallization. For this reason, the ice has a high overall transparency (17)
can be obtained.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional automatic ice making device is configured as described above, the water in the ice making tray (9) freezes, and the ice making tray (9) rotates and is twisted by the stopper. When force is applied to remove the ice, the cooling plate (13) closely fixed to the bottom surface of the ice maker 11+1 (9) is also twisted and sometimes deformed. When the cooling plate (13) deforms, the ice tray (
9) Ice tray (9) and cooling plate (13) without touching the bottom surface
A gap is created between the two, and the cold air from the cooling plate (13) circulates around the sides of the ice tray (9), and the water starts to freeze not only from the bottom surface but also from around the sides. For this reason, soluble salts and gases in the water are prevented from precipitating or scattering to the top by the solidified portions around the side surfaces, and the faster freezing results in non-uniform crystal formation. With these, ice (17)
The inside of the container became cloudy, the transparency decreased, and the appearance was not good.

Therefore, the present invention prevents the cooling plate from deforming even if a twisting force is applied to the ice tray by the stopper during ice removal, and allows the cooling plate to come into close contact with the bottom surface of the ice tray when freezing. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic ice making device that can obtain highly transparent ice by cooling only from the ice.

It is.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The automatic ice-making device according to the present invention pivots a flexible ice-making tray on the frame of an ice-making unit disposed in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator, and drives the ice-making tray. A cooling plate for cooling the lower part of the ice making tray is elastically held in close contact with the lower surface of the ice making mt by an elastic body.

[Function] In the present invention, when ice is removed, the cooling plate is elastically held by an elastic body, so it can independently move downward by 1-1 degrees without following the twisting deformation of the ice making l111, and the deformation is prevented. There's nothing to do. Therefore, when freezing occurs, the cooling plate is held in close contact with the lower surface of the ice cube 111L by the elastic body, so that the water in the ice cube tray is cooled only from the bottom. As a result, soluble salts and gases in the water come out or scatter to the outside of the upper surface, and the cooling is slowed down so that they are uniformly crystallized, so that highly transparent ice can be obtained.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of essential parts of an automatic ice-making apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cooling plate shown in FIG. 1. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 4 to 6 indicate parts that are the same as or correspond to conventional components, so their explanation will be omitted here.

In the figure, (9) is an ice tray similar to the conventional example.

(9a) is an outer wall forming the outside of the ice tray (9);
In 9b), the hooks drilled at the top of the four corners of this outer wall (9a) are holes; in (13a) and (13b), the hooks drilled at the four corners of the cooling plate (13) are holes; The hook of the plate (9) is formed at a position corresponding to the hole (9b). (24)
is a tension coil spring that elastically holds the cooling plate (13) on the lower surface of the ice tray (9), and has a hook portion (24a) at one end.
), the hook of the ice tray (9) is hooked to the hole (9b),
The hook portion (24b) at the other end is hooked to the hole (13a) and the hole (13b) of the cooling plate (13). That is, the cooling plate (13) has four corners pulled by the coil springs (
24), it is held in close contact with the lower surface of the ice maker 111L (9).

Next, the operation of the automatic ice making apparatus of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

By operating the water supply pump (14), water in the water supply bottle (6) is guided from the water storage tank (7) through the water supply pipe (15) into the ice tray (9), as in the conventional example. Here, the motor in the drive box (12) is activated to rotate the lid (1o) downward, and the lower plate (2) of the lid (10) is rotated downward.
o) is brought into contact with the top surface of the ice cube tray (9). Next, the lid body (
The lower plate (20) of 1o) is heated by the cord heater (21), and the lower surface of the ice tray (9) is pulled by the cooling plate (13) held closely by the elastic force of the coil spring (24). Cooling.

Then, the water in the ice tray (9) is cooled from the bottom, while the top is heated by the lower plate (2o) of the lid (10), so the water in the ice tray (9) is gradually cooled from the bottom. cooled down.

When ice (17) is formed, the detector detects this, and the motor of the drive box (12) is actuated to rotate the lid (10) through the drive gear around the lid shaft (23). Then, the ice tray (9) rotates, and then the ice tray shaft (18
) rotates around the axis. Then, one end of the ice-making tray (9) comes into contact with a stopper (not shown), and the ice-making tray (9) still contacts the stopper (not shown), and the ice-making tray (9) still remains in the ice-making tray 11[1(
9) is rotated, a twisting force is applied, the ice tray (9) is deformed, and the ice (17) inside falls away and falls into the water storage box (16). At this time, ice tray (9)
The cooling plate (13), which is held in close contact with the lower surface of the ice tray (13) by the elastic force of the tension coil spring (24), separates without following the deformation of the ice tray (9) by the elastic force of the tension coil spring (24). It becomes a body and moves up and down. Therefore, even if the cooling plate (13) is repeatedly removed from ice, it does not twist and deform, and always maintains a flat shape. Note that since the ice cube 111 [(9) is made of flexible feed, it will be restored to its original shape after the ice is removed. Due to these, the cooling plate (13) is in close contact with the bottom surface of the ice tray (9) during freezing, so the cooling plate (13) is attached to the side of the ice tray (9).
Cooling air does not circulate around and speed up the cooling of the area around the side of the ice-making tray (9), and cooling is always performed only from the bottom of the ice-making tray (9).

As described above, the automatic ice making device of the above embodiment includes a flexible ice tray (9) in the frame (11) which is the frame of the ice making unit (8) disposed in the freezer compartment (2) of the refrigerator. This ice making 11+1 (9) is driven by the box (12)
A tension coil spring (24) as an elastic body is provided on the lower surface of the ice tray (9) to cool the lower part of the ice tray (9).
They are elastically held in close contact with each other.

Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the cooling plate (13) does not twist and deform even when ice is removed repeatedly, and during freezing, the cooling plate (13) is always in close contact with the bottom surface of the ice tray (9). Therefore, the water in the ice tray (9) is cooled only from the bottom.

Therefore, soluble salts and soluble gases in the water rise before being blocked by the freezing of the side surface, and do not precipitate outside the upper surface or scatter and remain inside after freezing. Furthermore, since the upper part is heated by the lower plate (20) of the lid (1O), the freezing time becomes longer, so that the product is uniformly solidified.

These things make it possible to form highly transparent ice with almost no turbidity inside.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the tension coil spring (24
) to hang the hook part (24b) of the cooling plate (13
Although the hook portions provided at the four corners of the hook are formed by holes (13a) and holes (13b), they may also have a shape as shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cooling plate of an automatic ice making device according to a modification of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral (13c) denotes a hooking portion that is integrally formed by cutting and raising the four corners of the cooling plate (13) into a chevron shape. This hooking portion (13c) also hooks the hook portion (24b) of the tension coil spring (24) in the same manner as the hooking hole (13a) and the hooking hole (13b) in the above embodiment, and can be elastically held on the bottom surface of the ice tray (9). According to this modification, the tension coil spring (24
) is not exposed below the cooling plate (13), so the design can be improved.

By the way, the cooling plate (13) of the above embodiment is
Tension coil spring (24) elastically held on the bottom surface of (9)
Although four cooling plates (13) are installed, when carrying out the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this, and a larger number may be installed in consideration of the retainability of the cooling plate (13).

In addition, a cord heater (21) is attached to the bottom plate (20) of the lid (10) on the negative side of the ice tray (9).
Although two parts are heated, the present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the size and shape of the ice making tray (9), the ice making 111 (9) is gradually cooled from the bottom. It is not necessary to install it if possible.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in Part 2, the automatic ice making device of the present invention pivots a flexible ice making tray on the frame of an ice making unit disposed in the freezer compartment of a refrigerator. [ is made rotatable by the driving force of a drive unit, and a cooling plate for cooling the lower part of the ice tray is elastically held in close contact with the lower surface of the ice tray by an elastic body. Therefore, when breaking ice,
The cooling plate does not follow the twisting deformation of the ice tray and does not move up and down and deform, so when it freezes, the cooling plate is always held in close contact with the bottom surface of the ice tray by the elastic body, and the inside of the ice tray is kept in close contact with the ice tray. water is cooled only from the bottom.

As it freezes, soluble salts and gases in the water precipitate or scatter to the outside of the water, and as the cooling slows down, it becomes uniformly refined, forming highly transparent ice. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the main parts of an automatic ice making device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cooling plate of FIG. 1, and FIG. A perspective view of a cooling plate,
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with a conventional automatic ice-making device, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the conventional automatic ice-making device, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG. 5. In the figure, 2: Freezer compartment 8: Ice making unit 9: Ice tray
11: Frame 12: Drive box 13: Cooling plate 24: - It is a tension coil spring. In the drawings, the same reference numerals and the same symbols indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A flexible ice-making tray that is rotatably supported by a frame of an ice-making unit disposed in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator and is rotatable by the driving force of a drive unit; The automatic ice tray is characterized by comprising: a cooling plate that is removably attached to the bottom surface of the ice tray to cool the bottom of the ice tray; and an elastic body that elastically holds the cooling plate to the bottom surface of the ice tray. Ice making equipment.