JPH064561U - Automatic ice machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Objective] The present invention aims to provide a refrigerator user with a function of automatically producing a large amount of ice with high mechanism reliability and sensory excellent transparency. [Structure] Concave heat-insulating tank 23, heater 25, two-layer ice tray 26, and support shaft 27 provided at one end of ice tray 26
And a drive device 29 for rotating the ice tray 26 with the support shaft 27 as a fulcrum.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an automatic ice making device provided in a refrigerator and capable of automatically producing highly transparent ice.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 An example of an automatic ice making device that has been conventionally used in a refrigerator for some homes is shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-17317, which will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator main body, which is composed of an outer box 2, an inner box 3, and a heat insulating material 4 filled between the inner box 3 and the outer box 2. Reference numeral 5 is a partition wall that partitions the inside of the refrigerator body 1 into upper and lower parts, and defines a freezer compartment 6 in the upper part and a refrigerating compartment 7 in the lower part.

Reference numeral 8 is a cooling chamber of the refrigeration cycle provided on the back surface of the freezing chamber 6, and 9 is a blower for forcedly ventilating the cool air cooled by the cooler 8 to the freezing chamber 6 and the refrigerating chamber 7. . Reference numeral 10 denotes an automatic ice making machine provided in the freezing compartment 6, a drive device 11 having a motor, a reduction gear group (not shown) and the like built therein, an ice tray 13 having a support shaft 12 at the central portion, The driving device 11 is composed of a frame 14 for supporting the ice tray 13.

Reference numeral 15 is a stopper provided in a part of the outer shell of the drive unit 11 in order to distort and deform the ice tray 13 to perform ice removal. Reference numeral 16 is an ice storage box provided below the automatic ice making machine 10.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a water supply tank for storing water for ice making, which is detachably provided on one surface of the refrigerating compartment 7. Reference numeral 18 denotes a water supply port of the water supply tank 17, which is opened / closed by a valve 19. Reference numeral 20 is an ice storage tray provided below the water supply port 18 of the water supply tank 17, and when the water supply tank 17 is set with the water supply port 18 facing downward, the valve 19 is pushed up and the water supply port 18 is opened. It is configured to be opened.

Reference numeral 21 is a water supply pump for pumping water received in the water storage tray 20, 22 is connected to the water supply pump 21, and its outlet is connected to the ice tray 13 of the automatic ice making machine 10. It is a water supply pipe that is distributed as if it were.

In the above-described structure, when the user sets the water supply tank 17 filled with water at a predetermined position, the valve 19 is pushed up to open the water supply port 18 and open in the water storage tray 20. The water is filled. After that, the filled water is pumped up by the water supply pump 21, passes through the water supply pipe 22 and is poured into the ice tray 13. In this way, the water filled in the ice tray 13 is frozen by the cooling action in the freezer compartment 6 to generate ice.

When the ice making is completed, the ice tray 13 is rotated by the rotation of the driving device 11 about the support shaft 12 as a reaction, and when the ice tray 13 contacts the stopper 15, the ice tray 13 is distorted and deformed to release the ice. . The released ice falls into the ice storage box 16 and is stored therein, and the ice tray 13 after the ice removal is returned to the original state by the reverse rotation action of the drive device 11 again. Thereafter, this operation is repeated until the water in the water supply tank 17 is used up, and ice making and ice storage are automatically performed.

[0009]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, with the ice making method as described above, the water in the ice tray 13 when ice is produced gradually progresses downward from the contact surface between the ice tray 13 and water and the contact surface between cold air and water. In order to achieve this, the gas components dissolved in the water are confined in the center of the ice, resulting in opaque ice with a cloudy interior, which is sensory for use in beverages such as whiskey. It had a problem that it was not suitable ice.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide an automatic ice making device capable of automatically producing highly transparent ice.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above problems, the automatic ice making device of the present invention has a support shaft provided at one end in an adiabatic tank in which an upper surface provided in one part of the cooling chamber is opened and a heater is provided at the bottom of the inner surface. It is equipped with a drive device that superimposes the ice tray and rotates the ice tray around this support shaft.

Further, a heat-retaining heater is arranged at the bottom of the water tray for storing water in the water supply tank, and a drive device for rotating the ice tray with a support shaft at one end of the ice tray as a fulcrum is provided.

[0013]

[Action]

 Since the present invention comprises the first ice tray having the perforations at the bottom of the ice tray and the second ice tray which has been polymerized with the ice tray having the above-mentioned configuration, the water in the ice tray is cooled by the cold air in the cooling chamber. Freezing of water occurs in one direction from the surface downward, and the gas component in the water concentrates in the gap between the second ice tray and the first ice tray through the pores of the first ice tray, The ice on the plate will be highly transparent.

When the ice making is completed, the driving device rotates the ice making tray with the support shaft provided at one end of the ice making tray as a fulcrum, and the ice making tray is detached from the ice making tray to perform the ice separating operation, and the ice is stored in the ice storage box. Is stored. At this time, the ice in the gap between the first ice tray and the second ice tray remains inside the ice tray without separating. After the ice tray is returned to the original state by the reverse rotation of the driving device, the residual ice is melted and returned to water by heating with a heater from the lower surface of the ice tray.

After the residual ice is returned to the water, the water pumped from the water supply pipe is supplied again to the ice tray to start the ice making operation.

Further, in order to dissolve the previous residual ice left in the ice tray after the ice is removed, the water in the water tray is kept in a warm state by the heat-retaining heater provided in the lower portion of the water tray. Hot water is pumped from the water supply pipe and supplied to the ice tray to dissolve the residual ice in the ice tray, so that only water exists in the ice tray.

[0017]

【Example】

 An automatic ice making device showing one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the same components as those of the conventional one are designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different portions will be described.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a concave heat-insulating tank whose upper surface is opened and whose inside is constituted by a heat insulating material 24, and a heater 25 for heating is arranged over a part of the side surface centering on the bottom rear surface of the inner surface. ing. Reference numeral 26 is an ice tray which is superposed on the inner surface of the heat insulating tank 23, and a supporting shaft 27 is provided at one end of one surface. Reference numeral 28 denotes a temperature sensor in which a resin mold or the like is applied to the outer surface of the back surface of the ice tray 26 and brought into contact therewith.

Reference numeral 29 is a drive device that rotates the ice tray 26 with the support shaft 27 as a fulcrum, and 30 is a stopper that contacts the ice tray during rotation. Reference numeral 31 is an ice storage box provided adjacent to the heat insulation tank.

In the above-mentioned structure, when the user sets the water supply tank 17 filled with water to a predetermined position, the valve 19 is pushed up to open the water supply port 18, and the water is stored in the water storage tray 20. The water is filled. Then, the water supply pump 21 passes the water supply pipe 22 to start supplying water to the ice tray 26. The predetermined amount of water is supplied by means such as regulation of the operating time of the motor of the water supply pump 21.

Next, the cool air cooled by the cooler 8 by the blower 9 is forcedly blown onto the water surface of the ice tray 26 to perform a cooling action, and the water temperature is lowered. Then, the water in the ice tray 26 gradually starts freezing from the surface that comes into direct contact with the cold air. As the freezing proceeds, the gas component contained in the water of the ice tray 26 is composed of a first ice tray 32 and a second ice tray 33, which are provided in the bottom of the ice tray 26 and have a porous structure. Is discharged into the gap between the first ice tray 32 and the second ice tray 33, and the ice generated in the first ice tray 32 becomes highly transparent ice.

When the temperature sensor 28 indirectly detects the temperature at which ice is completely generated (for example, −5 ° C.) as the ice making progresses, the driving device 29 operates and the ice tray 26 with the support shaft 27 as a fulcrum. Starts to rotate and separates from the heat insulation tank 23. If the ice tray 26 continues to rotate as it is, a part of the ice tray 26 comes into contact with the stopper 30, the ice tray 26 is distorted and deformed, and the ice removing operation is performed, and the ice falls into the ice storage box 31.

When the ice tray 26 returns to its original state due to the reverse rotation of the drive unit 29, the heating action of the heater 25 causes the gap between the first ice tray 32 and the second ice tray 33 to remain. The ice is melted. When the temperature sensor 28 indirectly detects the temperature at which the ice is completely melted (for example, 5 ° C) as the melting progresses, the heating action of the heater 25 is stopped, and the water supply for the next ice making action is stopped. Is started.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The same components as those of the conventional example and the components of the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, detailed description thereof will be omitted, and only different parts will be described.

The heater 25 is not provided on the bottom surface of the heat insulating tank 23. In addition, a heat-retaining heater 34 is provided below the water storage tray 20. The water stored in the water storage tray 20 is kept warm at an appropriate temperature (for example, 30 ° C.) by the heat keeping heater 34.

When the ice making operation ends, the ice removing operation ends, and the ice making tray 26 returns to the original position, the water kept warm in the water storage tray 20 is pumped by the water supply pump 21 and passes through the water supply pipe 22. Then, it is poured into the ice tray 26. The kept warm water poured into the ice tray 26 dissolves the residual ice in the gap between the first ice tray 32 and the second ice tray 33.

Then, when the melting progresses and the temperature sensor 28 detects the temperature at which the ice is completely melted, a series of ice making operations are started again.

In the first embodiment, as a configuration for melting the residual ice in the two-vessel structure ice tray, which is a requirement for making ice with high transparency, in the first embodiment, a heater 25 is provided from the bottom of the ice tray. It dissolves. Moreover, in the second embodiment, the residual ice can be melted by pouring the water in the heat-retaining state into the ice-making tray 26 by the heat-retaining heater 34 at the bottom of the water storage tray 20.

[0030]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, the present invention has a structure in which residual ice in a two-vessel structure ice tray is melted, so that highly transparent ice can be automatically and simply produced, and the user can eat and drink. As such, it is possible to sufficiently use transparent ice, which is sensually excellent, at any time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential part of an automatic ice making device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with the automatic ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part of a water storage tray portion of an automatic ice making device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a refrigerator equipped with an automatic ice-making device showing a conventional example.

5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the automatic ice making device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 6 Freezing Room (Cooling Room) 17 Water Tank 20 Water Reservoir 21 Water Pump 23 Insulation Tank 25 Heater 26 Ice Making Plate 27 Support Shaft 29 Drive Shaft 32 First Ice Making Plate 33 Second Ice Making Plate 34 Heat Keeping Heater

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A heat insulating tank having an open upper surface provided in one section of a cooling chamber, and a heater arranged centering on a bottom portion of an inner surface of the heat insulating tank.
, An ice tray that has a support shaft at one end and is polymerized on the inner surface from the opening of the heat insulation tank, and the ice tray is a first ice tray having a perforated bottom and a second ice tray that is polymerized with the ice tray. A two-tank structure, a drive device for rotating the ice tray consisting of the two tanks with the support shaft as a fulcrum, a water supply tank provided outside the cooling chamber, and a water supply pump for pumping water from the water supply tank. Automatic ice making device. 2. A water storage tray for storing water in a water supply tank provided outside the cooling chamber, comprising a heat insulating tank, an ice tray, and a drive device for rotating the ice tray, and a heater arranged at the bottom of the water tray. The automatic ice making device according to claim 1, comprising: