JPH063003A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To quickly complete the production of ice when a compressor is often driven and has adequate power of producing the ice, in the title refrigerator provided with an automatically ice-producing apparatus. CONSTITUTION:A controlling means 33 consists of a microcomputer and so on, and has a timer 29 for water supply and a timer 34 for ice-producing therewith. There is data from a detecting means 12 for temperature in a freezing chamber, a detecting means 16 for the temperature of ice-producing, a detecting means 22 for a position and a detecting means 23 for a horizontal position as the data inputted to the controlling means 33, which means are connected thereto. There is data to a driving means 26 for driving a motor 20, a driving means 27 for driving a water supply pump motor 18 and a driving means 31 for driving a compressor 11 as the data outputted from the controlling means 33, which means are connected thereto. The integrated operation time of the compressor 11 is counted by the timer 34 for ice-producing and whether ice is produced in a definite time is determined on the basis of a signal from the detecting means 16 for the temperature of ice-producing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a refrigerator having an automatic ice-making device which automatically rotates an ice-making container after completion of ice-making to perform an ice removing operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, household refrigerators having an automatic ice maker have been put on the market. The configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator body, which is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3 and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the boxes 2 and 3. A partition wall 5 contains a cooler 6 and a blower 7 for forced ventilation therein, a freezer compartment 8 is formed in the upper part, and a refrigerating compartment 9 is formed in the lower part.

The air cooled by the cooler 6 is blown into the freezer compartment 8 and the refrigerating compartment 9 by the blower 7. A damper thermostat 10 for adjusting the amount of cold air flowing in is provided at the entrance of the refrigerator compartment 9. A refrigerating cycle compressor 11 is provided at the bottom of the refrigerator body 1. Reference numeral 12 denotes a freezing room temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the freezing room, which is installed in the freezing room 8. Reference numeral 14 is an automatic ice making device, and its configuration will be described below with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 15 is an ice making container, which is installed in the freezer compartment 8. Reference numeral 16 denotes an ice making temperature detecting means including a thermistor attached to the outer bottom surface of the ice making container 15 for detecting the completion of ice making. Reference numeral 17 denotes a water supply tank, which is arranged in the refrigerating chamber 9. A pump motor 18 supplies water from the water supply tank 17 to the ice making container 15. The water supply tank 17 and the water supply pump motor constitute a water supply mechanism 40. Reference numeral 19 denotes an ice making mechanism for rotating the ice making container 15 to perform an ice removing operation, and a motor 20 for rotating the ice making container 15 and a twisting portion 21 for twisting the ice making container 15 to rotate to remove ice. The position detecting means 22 is composed of a micro switch or the like indicating completion, and the horizontal position detecting means 23 is composed of a micro switch or the like indicating the horizontal position of the ice making container 15. Further, below the ice making container 15, an ice storage box 24 for storing the dropped ice is installed.

Next, the control circuit will be described with reference to FIG.
Reference numeral 25 is a control means composed of a microcomputer or the like, and its input terminals are connected to the ice making temperature detection means 16, the position detection means 22, the freezer compartment temperature detection means 12 and the horizontal position detection means 23. Driving means 26, 27 and 31 for operating the motor 20, the feed pump motor 18 and the compressor 11 are connected to the output terminals. The control means 25 has a water supply timer 29 for counting the time during which the water supply pump motor 18 is operated and an ice making timer 30 for counting the ice making time.

The operation of the above structure will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the operation of the compressor 11 will be described. In step 101, the freezer temperature detecting means 12
It is determined whether or not the freezer temperature detected by is higher than a preset temperature. If it is determined here that the freezer compartment temperature is higher than the set temperature, step 10
The operation proceeds to 2 and the compressor 11 is operated. When the freezer compartment temperature is lower than the set temperature, the process proceeds to step 103 and the compressor 1
Stop 1 When steps 103 and 104 are executed, the process returns to step 101 again. With the above operation, the temperature in the freezer compartment 8 is maintained at a constant temperature.

Next, the operation of the automatic ice making device 14 will be described. First, at step 201, the horizontal position detecting means 23 is turned on.
If the horizontal position detecting means 23 is not turned on, that is, if the ice making container 15 is not horizontal, it is determined whether the ice making container 15 is horizontal. Turn on until is horizontal. In step 201, the horizontal position detecting means 2
If 3 is turned on, the process proceeds to step 203, the motor 20 is stopped, and the count of the ice making timer 30 is started in step 204. In step 205, the count of the ice making timer 30 is checked and it is judged whether or not a predetermined time, which is considered to be the completion of ice making, has elapsed. When it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined in step 206 whether the ice making temperature detected by the ice making temperature detecting means 16 is equal to or lower than the set value, and if it is equal to or lower than the set value, it is determined that the ice making is completed. Then, in step 207, the motor 20 is turned on. If the ice making temperature is equal to or higher than the set value, the process stands by until the ice making temperature becomes equal to or lower than the set value, and then the motor 20 is turned on in step 207 to rotate the ice making container 15. Then, the twisting portion 21 is twisted to separate the ice from the ice making container 15.

When the state of the position detecting means 22 is turned on in step 208, it is determined that the ice removal is completed, and step 2
In step 09, the motor 20 is continuously moved until the ice making container 15 becomes horizontal, and in step 209, the horizontal position detecting means 23.
Wait until is turned on. In step 208 and step 209, the process returns to step 208 until both the position detecting means 22 and the horizontal position detecting means 23 are turned on. Step two
When the horizontal position detection means 23 is turned on at 09, it is determined that the ice making container 15 is horizontal, and the motor 20 is stopped at step 210. In step 211, the water supply pump motor 18 is operated to supply water to the empty ice making container 15, and in step 212, the water supply timer 29 is started, and in step 213, the water supply pump motor 18 is operated until the time is up. When the water supply timer 29 times out in step 213, the water supply pump motor 18 is turned off in step 214. As described above, the water supply is completed and one cycle of the ice making cycle is completed, and the process proceeds to step 204 again. Thereafter, this cycle is repeated to automatically make ice.

[0009]

However, in such a configuration, when the ice making timer is counted in step 205 and the ice is not released until a predetermined time (for example, 2 hours) has expired, for example, when the outside air temperature is high. Has a problem that the operation rate of the compressor 11 is high and it takes as long as 2 hours until the ice is released even if the ice making is actually completed in 1 hour.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems and has an object to shorten the ice making time by releasing ice quickly correspondingly when the operating rate of the compressor 11 is high and the ice making is completed quickly.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a refrigerator of the present invention comprises a compressor of a refrigeration cycle, an ice making container and an ice removing mechanism for rotating and ice-freezing the ice making container, and water supply to the ice making container. A refrigerator having a water supply mechanism for controlling, and an ice making timer for counting an accumulated operation time of the compressor after water supply, and a control means for operating the ice removing mechanism after the ice making timer has counted a predetermined time. .

[0012]

According to the present invention, when the operation rate of the compressor is high, the ice-making timer counts faster and the ice can be released earlier than during the normal operation, so that the ice-making can be performed earlier.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Since the conventional refrigerator has the same overall configuration as the automatic ice making device, the same reference numerals are used, and detailed description thereof is omitted. Only different parts will be described.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 33 is a control means composed of a microcomputer and the like, and its input terminal has an ice making temperature detection means 1
6, position detecting means 22, freezer compartment temperature detecting means 12 and horizontal position detecting means 23 are connected. Driving means 26, 27 and 31 for operating the motor 20, the feed pump motor 18 and the compressor 11 are connected to the output terminals. The control means 33 includes a water supply timer 29 for counting the time during which the water supply pump motor 18 is operated, and the compressor 1.
It is composed of an ice-making timer 34 that counts the integrated operation time of 1.

The operation of the above arrangement will be described with reference to FIG. Explaining the operation of the automatic ice making device,
First, in step 301, it is determined whether the horizontal position detecting means 23 is ON, that is, whether the ice making container 15 is horizontal, and if the horizontal position detecting means 23 is not ON, that is, if the ice making container 15 is not horizontal, At 302, the motor 20 is turned on until the ice making container 15 becomes horizontal.
If the horizontal position detecting means 23 is turned on in step 301, the process proceeds to step 303, the motor 20 is stopped, and the process proceeds to step 304. In step 304, it is determined whether the compressor 11 is operating. If the compressor 11 is not operating, the process returns to step 304.

If it is determined in step 304 that the compressor 11 is operating, the routine proceeds to step 307, where the ice making timer 34 is counted up, and step 308
Check the count of the ice making timer 34 to determine whether a predetermined time (for example, 1 hour) has elapsed,
If the ice making timer 34 has timed out, step 30
Proceed to 9. In step 309, it is determined whether the ice making temperature detected by the ice making temperature detecting means 16 is less than or equal to the set temperature value. If the ice making temperature is above the set value, wait until it falls below the set value. In step 310, the motor 20 is rotated and the ice making container 15 is rotated. Then, the twisting portion 21 is twisted to make ice cubes 1
Remove ice from 5.

Therefore, in step 311, the position detecting means 2
When the state of No. 2 is ON and it can be determined that the ice removing is completed, the process proceeds to step 312, and the motor 20
Are continuously moved, and in step 312, the horizontal position detecting means 2 is moved.
Wait until 3 is turned on. Steps 311 and 312
Both the position detection means 22 and the horizontal position detection means 23 are turned on.
Is returned to step 311. When the horizontal position detecting means 23 is turned on in step 312, it is determined that the ice making container 15 is horizontal, and the motor 20 is stopped in step 313. At step 314, the water supply pump motor 18 is operated to supply water to the empty ice making container 15, and at step 315, the water supply timer 29 is started, and at step 316, the water supply pump motor 18 is operated until the time is up. When the water supply timer 29 times out in step 316, the water supply pump motor 18 is turned off in step 317, and the ice making timer 34 is cleared in step 318.

As described above, the water supply is completed and one cycle of the ice making cycle is completed, and the process proceeds to step 304 again. Thereafter, this cycle is repeated to automatically make ice. Therefore, when the operating rate of the compressor 11 is high and the actual ice making time is short, the ice making time is shorter than when the operating rate is low.

In the present embodiment, only the operating time of the compressor is used as a reference, and when the operating time of the compressor exceeds a certain time, the structure is shifted to the ice making temperature detecting means. There is no denying the combined use of. That is, in addition to a timer that integrates the operating time of the compressor, a timer that is conventionally used and that simply integrates the time after water supply is installed side by side, and when any one of the timers has timed out, it shifts to the ice making temperature detection means. Is also effective.

[0019]

As is apparent from the above description, the refrigerator according to the present invention has a sufficient ice-making ability because the count time of the ice-making timer is shortened according to the operating rate when the operating rate of the compressor is high. When the outside air temperature is high, the ice making time can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control circuit of a refrigerator showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing control of the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing control of a conventional automatic ice making device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control of the refrigerator.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the refrigerator.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the refrigerator.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the automatic ice making device.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the inside of the ice removing mechanism of the automatic ice making device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Compressor 14 Automatic Ice Making Device 15 Ice Making Container 16 Ice Making Temperature Detection Means 17 Water Supply Tank 18 Water Supply Pump Motor 19 Ice Decoupling Mechanism 33 Control Means 34 Ice Making Timer 40 Water Supply Mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A compressor of a refrigeration cycle, an ice making container and an ice removing mechanism for rotating and ice-freezing the ice making container, a water supply mechanism for supplying water to the ice making container, and an accumulated operating time of the compressor after water supply. A refrigerator having an ice making timer for counting, the control means for activating the ice removing mechanism after the ice making timer has counted a predetermined time.