JPH07270010A - Ice making equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A reverse-rotating self-priming pump is used to introduce water from the water tank to the ice tray to prevent air noise during this reverse rotation. [Structure] The outer periphery of a discharge pipe 30 extending into the water supply tank 7 is covered with a funnel-shaped member 41 having a wide bottom surface.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ice making device incorporated in a refrigerator or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an ice maker has often been incorporated into a refrigerator for use. As this type of ice making device, for example, the configuration disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-3082 is known. The conventional ice making device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-3082 will be described below. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a conventional ice making device.

The conventional ice making device 200 is roughly divided into an ice making tray 201, a reversing device 202, a pump 203, a measuring tank 205, a water supply tank 206 and a pipe 207. This internal ice tray 201, reversing device 202
Is in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, and other members are placed in the refrigerator compartment.

The ice tray 201 is a tray that freezes the water inside. The reversing device 202 has a built-in gear train and serves to reverse the ice tray 201 and to twist the ice tray 201 to remove ice.

The measuring tank 205 is a water tank divided into a measuring chamber 212 and a water storage chamber 213. A small hole is provided in the partition wall that separates the two, so that when the water level in the measuring chamber 212 drops, water slowly flows from the water storage chamber 213. The top surface of the weighing tank is open.

The pump 203 comprises a motor section 210 and a pump section 211. Prior art ice making device 200
Then, as the pump 203, a spiral pump was adopted.
That is, since the pump 203 used in the related art is a centrifugal pump, it has no self-priming property. Therefore, in the conventional ice making device 200, the pump portion 211 of the pump 203 is
Was directly inserted into the weighing chamber 212.

The water supply tank 206 is a closed tank body provided with a lid 217. The lid 217 is provided with an opening / closing valve. The water supply tank 206 is filled with water, and the measuring tank 205 is closed with the lid 217 facing down.
Is located above the water supply tank 2 and part of the on-off valve described above
The bottom of the water storage chamber 213 of No. 06 contacts.

In the conventional ice making device 200, the water in the water supply tank 206 falls into the measuring tank 205, and the measuring chamber 212 is filled with the water via the water storage chamber 213. Then, the water is pumped up by the pump 203 inserted into the measuring chamber 212, and is supplied to the ice tray 201 through the pipe 207.

[0009]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Prior art ice making device 2
00 is widely used as a device incorporated in a refrigerator. However, the conventional ice making device 200 has a problem that the water in the measuring tank 205 is decomposed or an offensive odor is transferred to the ice.

That is, the ice making device 200 of the prior art requires the measuring tank 205 as an essential element, and water is exposed to the air in the measuring tank 205. More specifically, in the conventional ice making device 200, since the centrifugal pump is used as the pump 203, only the pump portion 211 of the pump 203 has to be inserted into the measuring tank 205 from above the measuring tank 205. Further, in the related art, the replenishment of water to the measuring tank 205 is performed by dropping the water from the water supply tank 206. Therefore, the measuring tank 205, which is indispensable in the prior art, must be an open upper surface.

In addition, water is not always supplied to the ice tray 201, and it is not unusual that water is not supplied to the ice tray for a considerable period depending on the amount of ice consumed.

Therefore, while water is not supplied to the ice tray,
The water in the measuring tank is never replaced. During this period, dust and the like floating in the refrigerating chamber fall on the water surface of the measuring tank, and the dust and the like in the water is decomposed over a long period of time. Alternatively, a gas having an offensive odor component in the refrigerator may dissolve into water from the surface of the measuring tank over a long period of time, and the resulting ice may give off an offensive odor.

The present invention focuses on the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, reduces the chance of water being exposed to the air in the water supply path,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ice making device capable of preventing water from spoiling and generating an offensive odor.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has a water supply tank provided in a refrigerator, an ice tray provided in a freezer, and a pipe interposed in the ice tray. Self-priming pump that is operated after water supply by guiding the water in the water supply tank to the ice tray, and a discharge pipe that communicates with the inside of the water supply tank,
It is composed of a funnel-shaped member located inside the water supply tank, the bottom side of which extends and covers the periphery of the discharge pipe, and an accommodating member on the bottom face of the discharge pipe having a filter.

Further, the water supply tank is composed of a tank body and a lid, and the lid has a funnel-shaped member which projects into the tank body and extends to the bottom of the tank, and which covers the circumference of the discharge pipe. The funnel-shaped member and the storage member are engaged with the lid body.

Further, the suction pipe portion of the discharge pipe communicating with the inside of the water supply tank is tubular and has a notched groove portion at its tip.

The filter case has a projection on the bottom, and the suction pipe portion is located so as to surround the projection.

Further, the suction pipe portion of the discharge pipe communicating with the inside of the water supply tank has a projection on the bottom surface, and a gap is provided between the suction pipe portion and the bottom portion of the filter case.

Further, a water supply tank, a pump, a frame having a water supply tank mounting portion and a pump arranging portion, a discharge pipe provided in the water supply tank, and a nozzle-like shape formed at the tip of the discharge pipe. A pipe joint portion (A), a tubular pipe joint portion (B) connected to the pump that engages with the pipe joint portion (A), an engagement portion formed on the discharge pipe, and the engagement. A hitting portion formed together with the portion, and a locking claw that engages with the engaging portion and maintains the coupled state of the pipe joint portions (A) and (B).

The water supply tank is composed of a tank body having an open upper surface, a lid for hermetically closing the opening, and a discharge pipe connected to the pump suction side. The lid member and the discharge pipe are integrally formed. is there.

Further, the water supply tank has an air vent pipe portion in the lid body, and the diameter of the air vent pipe portion is changed toward the upper surface of the lid body.

Further, the container is provided in a refrigerator and is supplied with water by a self-priming pump. The container has an open upper surface, a lid for closing the upper opening of the container, and a lid formed on the lid. The container is composed of a suction pipe connected to the self-priming pump, the container is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped having long sides and short sides, and the lid is formed of long sides and short sides. A lock member is movably supported on the side and is engaged with a flange formed on the long side of the container.

Further, the lid is provided with a flange extending to the inner surface of the container, and the outside of the flange is provided with a gasket which comes into contact with the opening end of the container to form a watertight state when the lid is attached to the upper opening of the container. It will be.

[0024]

In the water supply tank of the ice making device of the present invention,
Although it is sucked up by the discharge pipe while being surrounded by the funnel-shaped member, since the air portion in the tank is small, the flow of water and air is reduced.

Further, since the funnel-shaped member is attached to the lid by being attached, it is easy to remove. Further, since there is a notch at the tip of the suction pipe in the tank of the discharge pipe, the air returned together with the water returning to the reverse rotation tank of the self-priming pump is dispersed.

Further, the protrusions provided on the filter case inside the suction pipe further disperse the air.

Further, when the water supply tank is provided in the water supply tank mounting portion, the engaging claw is struck on the hitting portion and engages with the engaging portion, so that the pipe joint portions (A) and (B) are joined. Will be certain.

Further, by providing the lid with the air vent pipe, the pressure in the water supply tank can be made constant.

Further, the air vent noise can be prevented by deforming the diameter of the air vent pipe portion toward the upper surface of the lid.

Further, since the water storage tank is engaged with the lock member on the long side of the container having the long side and the short side and the lid side, the sealing property is improved.

[0031]

EXAMPLES Specific examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an ice making device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an ice making device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a water supply tank used in the ice making device of FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a lid portion of the water supply tank of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the water supply tank of FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified embodiment of the suction pipe portion. FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the suction pipe portion. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a main part of the ice making device of FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior when the water supply tank and the frame are coupled in the ice making device of FIG. FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a fitting state of the pipe joint portion (A) of the discharge pipe and the pipe joint portion (B) provided on the suction side of the pump. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the air vent portion of the water supply tank. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ice making device according to the specific embodiment of the present invention.

First, the basic construction of the ice making apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic configuration of the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment, and a frame 8 described later is not shown. The ice making device 1 of the present embodiment includes an ice tray 2, an inverting device 3, an ice storage container 5, a pump 6, a water supply tank 7, and pipes 4 and 9. That is, the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment does not have a member corresponding to the measuring tank, which is essential in the prior art.

The ice making device 1 of this embodiment is placed in a refrigerator. More specifically, the in-house ice tray 2, the reversing device 3, and the ice storage container 5 having the above-described components are located in the lower freezing compartment 10, and the pump 6 and the water supply tank 7 are located in the upper refrigerating compartment 11. . In addition, the pipe 4 includes a water supply tank 7 and a pump 6
Is to combine. On the other hand, the pipe 9 connects the pump 6 and the ice tray 2 to each other. Here, the pipe 4 is continuously connected without a gap, while the pipe 9 has a structure in which a nozzle 13 is opened on the upper surface of the ice tray 2 and water is poured from the nozzle 13 into the ice tray 2.

Among the components of the ice making device 1 described above, the ice tray 2, the reversing device 3 and the ice storage container 5 are not different from the known ones. Briefly, the ice tray 2 is a tray that freezes the water inside. The reversing device 3 has a built-in gear train and functions to reverse the ice tray 2 to remove ice.
The ice storage container 5 is located under the ice tray 2 and is a container for storing ice dropped from the ice tray 2.

The characteristic structure of the ice making device 1 of this embodiment is as follows.
It is mainly in the pump 6, the water supply tank 7, and the frame 8 that supports them.

The water supply tank 7 comprises a tank body 15, a lid 16, a filter 40 and the like.

Here, the tank body 15 is a container having an open upper surface and having long sides and short sides. And the tank body 1
Around the opening 18 of FIG. 5, a small flange 20 is formed, and a side surface is provided with a water level window 12 through which the water level in the tank can be seen.

The lid 16 is a plate-shaped member that is aligned with the opening 18 of the tank body 15, and has a bag-like portion 23 that is fitted around the opening end of the tank 15 on the periphery.
The packing 14 is disposed inside the bag-shaped portion 23. Further, the lid body 16 is integrated with the discharge pipe 30.

Further, four protrusions 25 are provided on the side surface on the long side of the lid body 16. The protrusions 25 are arranged in pairs such that two protrusions 25 face each other. Holes (not shown) are provided on the opposing surfaces of the protrusions 25. Protrusion 2
5, a lock member 26 as shown in FIG. 4 is rotatably attached. The lock member 26 is plate-shaped, and has a protrusion 27 on its side surface that fits into the above-mentioned hole (not shown).
Is provided. Further, the lock member 26 is provided with two engaging claws 28, respectively.

In the water supply tank 7 employed in this embodiment, when the upper opening 18 of the tank body 15 is covered with the lid body 16, the engaging claw 28 of the lock member 26 is provided on the long side of the tank body 15. Engage with the bottom surface of 20.

Therefore, since the long side is securely held,
Even if the water tank 7 is carried, the seal is reliable and will not scatter around.

In addition to the above-described structure, the lid 16 is provided with a water injection hole 34, and a cap 33 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 is attached to the hole 34. Also, the lid 16
A concave portion 31 is formed in the concave portion 31 to act as a handle when pulling out the water supply tank 7. Further, a discharge pipe 30 projects from the front portion of the lid body 16. The discharge pipe 30 includes a suction pipe portion 36, an air vent pipe portion 37, and a pipe joint portion (A) 35.
It is composed by. That is, the suction pipe portion 36 has a long tubular shape, and the tip thereof is as shown in FIG.
Extends to the bottom.

The notch groove portion 4 is provided at the tip of the suction pipe portion 36.
6 are provided at four places and a projection 49 on the bottom surface. Therefore, the air emitted from the tip of the suction pipe portion 36 is dispersed during the reverse rotation of the pump 6, and the emission noise can be reduced. The notch groove portion 46 and the protrusion portion 49 are not necessarily required, and the tip of the suction pipe portion 36 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 may be formed into a funnel shape, and air may be dispersed by the mesh mesh 55. At this time, a pressing member 56 is provided as a pressing member for the mesh mesh 55.

Further, the tip of the discharge pipe 30 projects upward from the lid body 16, and a pipe joint portion (A) 35 is provided at the projecting portion. The pipe joint portion (A) 35 has a nozzle shape and extends in the horizontal direction. An annular projection 39 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pipe joint portion (A) 35. The top surface 42 of the discharge pipe 30 is formed with a slope that decreases toward the axial direction of the pipe joint portion (A) 35.

On the other hand, the air vent pipe portion 37 has an extremely short tubular shape, but the pipe diameter is changed midway as shown in FIG. Further, the air vent pipe portion 37 communicates the inside and outside of the water supply tank 7. Therefore, the pressure in the water supply tank 7 becomes constant, and accurate water supply can be obtained.
Furthermore, changing the pipe diameter can prevent air circulation noise.

The shape of the air vent pipe 37 is shown in FIG.
The shape is not limited to 0, but may be the shape of a modified embodiment as shown in FIG.

Next, when the eyes are moved to the inside of the water supply tank 7, a filter case 38 and a filter 40 are arranged inside the water supply tank 7 as shown in FIGS.

The filter case 38 has a funnel-shaped member 41.
And a storage member 43. Funnel member 4
1 has a locking part 45 formed at the end on the side made thin, and the funnel-shaped member 41 has the locking part 45 described above.
6 is engaged and attached to the engaging portion 52. Further, on the peripheral surface of the end portion of the funnel-shaped member 41 on the greatly opened side,
Four fitting protrusions 47 are provided.

The housing member of the filter case 38 is a cylindrical member having the bottom portion 48 and the peripheral wall 50. Further, a protrusion 54 is formed at the center of the bottom portion, and the suction pipe portion 3
6 As with the notched groove portion 46 at the tip and the protrusion 49 on the bottom surface, the sound emission of air can be reduced.

The peripheral wall 50 is provided with four openings 51 for introducing water. Also, on the peripheral wall 50,
An “L” -shaped fitting groove 53 is provided. Storage 43
Has an L-shaped fitting groove 53 fitted into the fitting projection 47 of the funnel-shaped member 41, and the funnel-shaped member 41 and the storage portion 43.
Are integrated into one case.

By slightly rotating the funnel-shaped member 41, the engagement between the locking portion 45 and the contact portion 52 is released, and both can be easily disassembled to clean the inside. In addition, by slightly rotating the storage member 43, the fitting groove 53 and the fitting projection 4
The fitting of 7 is released, both can be easily disassembled and the inside can be cleaned.

A filter 40 is housed in the filter case 38. The filter 40 used in this embodiment is made of activated carbon having a deodorizing effect and has a ring shape. Further, the filter 40 has a considerably small passage area, and water passes relatively slowly.

The filter 40 is arranged in the filter case 38 as described above, and the tip of the suction pipe portion 36 of the discharge pipe 30 is located at the central portion of the filter 40.

Regarding the internal volume of the filter case 38 of the present embodiment, a preferable design condition is added. The internal volume of the filter case 38 is almost the same as that of the ice tray 2 except for the volume occupied by the filter 40. A quantity equal to the required water supply is good. More specifically, the filter case 3
It is desirable that the amount of water in the filter case 38 from the water surface in 8 to the tip surface of the suction pipe portion 36 be equal to the amount of water when the ice tray 2 is full.

Further, the funnel-shaped member 4 of the filter case 38
1 is provided with an air vent groove 57. Therefore, the pressure inside the filter case 38 becomes constant, and an accurate water supply amount can be obtained.

Next, the frame 8 will be described. The frame 8 is fixed in the refrigerating compartment 11. The frame 8 is composed of a water supply tank mounting portion 60 and a pump arranging portion 61.

The water tank mounting portion 60 is composed of a bottom plate 63 and a peripheral wall 65 having a low height. And the bottom plate 6
The longitudinal end of 3 is raised and the discharge pipe housing 67
Are formed. The discharge pipe accommodating portion 67 has a trapezoidal shape when viewed from above, and the end portion side of the water supply tank mounting portion 60 has a wide width, and is tapered and narrowed toward the center. Further, an opening 68 is provided on the tip end side of the discharge pipe housing portion 67, in other words, on the center side of the water supply tank mounting portion 60.

Further, in the vicinity of the opening 68 of the water tank mounting portion 60, a pipe joint portion (B) 71 and an engaging claw 72 are provided via a support base 70. The pipe joint portion (B) 71 is shown in FIG.
As described above, the tubular member 75 is integrally attached to the flange-shaped base portion 73, and has a tubular shape as a whole.

A seal member 76 is inserted inside the pipe joint portion (B) 71. The seal member 76 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or resin, and has a cylindrical surface that abuts the inner wall of the tubular member 75 and a flat surface that abuts the base 73. Lips 77 and 78 project from the cylindrical surface and the flat surface, respectively.
That is, the seal member 76 performs a sealing action by the two lips 77 and 78, and has a so-called double seal function.

The engaging claw 72 has a claw 8 at the tip of the rod member 80.
1 is provided. The engaging claw 72 is swingably supported by a shaft 83. The spring 85 abuts on the rod-shaped member 80 of the engaging claw 72 as shown in FIGS.
The engaging claw 72 is constantly urged so that the claw 81 moves downward.

A pressing lever 87 is provided at a position of the water tank mounting portion 60 near the pump placement portion 61, and is attached to the frame 8 by a rib 88. The tip of the pressing lever 87 is the bottom plate 63 of the frame 8.
Projects downward from an opening provided in the. The pressing lever 87 is pressed by the spring 90 in the direction away from the pump placement portion 61.

The pump placement portion 61 has a bottom surface 9 as shown in FIG.
1 and side surfaces 92, 93, 94 and 95 are provided, and only the upper surface is open. The pump placement portion 61 is made deeper than the water supply tank mounting portion 60 described above. A drainage hole 99 is provided in the bottom surface 91 of the pump placement portion 61.
Further, the side surfaces 92 and 95 of the pump placement portion 61 are provided with notches 96 for passing the pipes. Further, a hole 97 for fixing the mount is provided on the bottom surface 91.

Pump 6 used in the ice making apparatus 1 of this embodiment
Is a gear pump having self-priming properties. The pump 6 has a pump main body 98 and a motor 100 integrated therein.

The pump 6 is a rubber vibration isolation mount 101.
It is attached to the pump placement portion 61 via the. The shape of the vibration-proof mount 101 will be briefly described below.
The vibration-proof mount 101 has a block shape, and the pump 6
Of the pump main body 98 and the slit 1 into which the leg is inserted
03 are provided in the width direction.

An engaging projection 105 is provided on the bottom surface of the vibration-proof mount 101. In mounting the pump 6, first, the pump 6 is mounted in the slit 103 of the anti-vibration mount 101, then the anti-vibration mount 101 is arranged on the frame 8, and the engaging projection 105 of the anti-vibration mount 101 engages with the hole 97. Are combined.

As described above, in the ice making device 1 of this embodiment, the pump 6 is completely covered by the vibration isolating mount 101, and the bottom surface 91 and the side surface 62 of the pump arranging portion 6 are provided outside the vibration isolating mount 101. Since it is surrounded by 93, 94, and 95, when the pump 6 is driven as described later, the noise of the pump is rarely leaked to the outside.

The suction side of the pump 6 and the pipe joint (B) 7
The space between 1 is connected by a pipe 4. In the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment, a filter 108 is provided in the pipe 4 on the suction side of the pump 6 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 12, the O-ring 1 is attached to the mounting portion of the filter 108 to prevent water leakage.
10 is installed.

It is recommended that the filter 108 have a size of about 40 to 100 mesh. A pipe 9 is attached to the discharge side of the pump. The pipe 9 extends downward and is connected to the nozzle 13, and the nozzle 13 is open at the upper part of the ice tray 2.

The operation of the ice making device 1 of this embodiment will be described below in accordance with the operating procedure of the ice making device. Before using the ice making device 1 of this embodiment, water is first put in the water supply tank 7. When water is added to the water supply tank 7, the cap 33 is removed and water is poured into the water supply tank 7 through the hole 34.

When the inside of the water supply tank 7 is dirty, the engaging claw 28 of the lock member 26 is removed from the flange 20 of the tank body 15, the entire lid 16 is removed from the tank body 15, and the tank body 15 is removed. Can be washed.

In addition, in the water supply tank 7 used in this embodiment, the funnel-shaped member 41 of the filter case 38 is attached by engaging the engaging portion 52 of the lid 16 with the locking portion 45. In addition, the storage member 43 is attached by engaging the fitting protrusion 47 of the funnel-shaped member 41 with the fitting groove 53, and disassembled by slightly rotating the funnel-shaped member 41 and the storage member 43, respectively. It is possible and the inside can be easily cleaned.

After pouring water into the water supply tank 7, the water supply tank 7 is attached to the frame 8. Ice making apparatus 1 of the present embodiment
In order to mount the water supply tank 7, the water supply tank 7 is held horizontally, and the water supply tank 7 is placed between the bottom plate 63 of the water supply tank mounting portion 60 of the frame 8 and the bottom plate 112 of the refrigerator as shown in FIGS. It is done by pushing it in and inserting it.

Here, the bottom plate 112 is more inclined toward the pump arranging portion 61, and the water supply tank 7 slides out when it is pushed in insufficiently. Further, ribs 17 are provided on the back surface of the tank body 15 to facilitate slipping.

Here, when the water supply tank 7 is mounted, the discharge pipe 30 advances from the wide opening of the discharge pipe storage portion 67 along the taper to the inside, and the discharge pipe 30 is attached to the side surface of the discharge pipe storage portion 67 and Since it is held by the upper surface, the movement of the water supply tank 7 in the left-right and up-down directions is restricted. The discharge pipe 30 reaches the opening 68 at the tip of the discharge pipe housing 67.

When the water supply tank 7 is still pushed in,
The top surface 42 of the discharge pipe 30 pushes the engaging claw 72 upward as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Then, the nozzle-shaped pipe joint portion (A) 35 provided at the tip of the discharge pipe 30 is inserted into the pipe joint portion (B) 71.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the engaging claw 72 hits the hitting portion 74 of the discharge pipe 30 so that the mounting of the water supply tank can be confirmed with a sense of moderation.

The pipe joint (A) 35 is replaced by the pipe joint (B) 71.
When completely inserted therein, the engaging claw 72 is lowered by the force of the spring 85 and engages with the engaging portion 32 of the discharge pipe 30. As a result, the pipe joint portion (A) 35 becomes the pipe joint portion (B) 7
It is held so that it does not come out of 1.

On the other hand, the internal condition when the pipe joint (A) 35 is completely inserted into the pipe joint (B) 71 is as follows.
As shown in FIG. 10, the tip end portion of the pipe joint portion (A) 35 abuts on the two lips 77, 78 of the seal member 76, and complete water tightness is ensured.

Further, the annular projection 39 of the pipe joint portion (A) 35
Is in contact with the inner wall of the pipe joint portion (B) 71 to improve the watertightness.

In the mounting operation of the water supply tank 7 described above, the pressing lever 87 is provided on the frame 8 of the ice making apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, and the pressing lever 87 acts in the direction of pushing out the water supply tank 7, so to some extent. It is a work to feel the resistance of. However, when the water supply tank 7 is completely installed, the engaging claw 72 engages with the vertical surface of the discharge pipe 30 as described above, and the force of the pressing lever 87 is supported by the engaging claw 72, so that the user can The resistance felt in the hand is significantly reduced.

When the mounting of the water supply tank 7 is completed, the automatic water supply is performed by the function of the control circuit (not shown) according to the flowchart of FIG. That is, when the mounting of the water supply tank 7 is completed, the first water supply timer is started in step 1, and subsequently, in step 2, the motor 100 of the pump 6 starts forward rotation.

Here, the pump 6 used in the ice making apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a gear pump and has a self-priming property, so that water is sucked directly from the water supply tank 7 by the rotation of the motor 100. That is, water flows from the suction pipe portion 36 inserted into the water supply tank 7 to the pipe joint portion (A) 35 and the pipe joint portion (B).
The pump 6 is entered via 71. And pump 6 to pipe 9
Water is discharged from the nozzle 13 via the.

When the first water supply timer expires, the pump 6 is switched to reverse rotation, and the discharge of water from the nozzle 13 is stopped. At this time, the ice tray 2 is in a state of being filled with water.

As described above, in the ice making device 1 of this embodiment, the amount of water discharged to the ice making tray 2 is controlled by controlling the rotation speed of the motor by the first water supply timer. Since the pump 6 used in this embodiment is a gear pump, a discharge water amount that is approximately proportional to the total number of rotations of the motor can be obtained. Therefore, the desired amount of water can be obtained by setting the rotation time of the motor constant.

Assuming that the inner volume of the filter case 38 is equal to the required water supply amount to the ice tray 2, the water level in the filter case 38 will temporarily drop after the pump 6 has delivered the required amount of water. The pump 6 sucks in air and no further water is absorbed. Therefore, when the said structure is employ | adopted, more accurate control of the water supply amount can be performed.

Further, by adopting the air vent pipe portion 37 and the air vent groove 57, the pressure inside the water supply tank 7 and the inside of the filter case 38 becomes constant, and the water supply amount can be controlled more accurately.

Returning to the description of the flow chart, when the expiration of the first water supply timer is confirmed in step 3, the second water supply timer starts starting in step 4. The set time of the second water supply timer is shorter than that of the first water supply timer. And when the second water supply timer starts to start,
In step 5, the motor 100 is switched and the motor 10
0 rotates in reverse.

The reason why the motor 100 is reversely rotated for a certain period of time is that water remaining in the pipe 9 is collected in the water supply tank via the pump 6.

When the expiration of the second water supply timer is confirmed in step 6, the rotation of the motor 100 is stopped in step 7 and the series of water supply steps is completed. After that, as in the known ice making device, the water in the ice making plate 2 is frozen, the ice making plate 2 is inverted by the reversing device 3 to remove ice, and the ice is dropped into the ice storage container 5.

Then, the water supply process is repeated again. Here, as described in the description of the prior art, there is a considerable time interval from one water supply to the next water supply, but in the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment, when water comes into contact with air during this water supply interval. There is no.

That is, in the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to fill water in a member having an open upper portion such as a measuring tank, and water is pumped out from the water supply tank 7 when necessary. In addition, in the ice making device 1 of the present embodiment, when a predetermined amount of water is supplied to the ice tray 2, even the water remaining in the pipe is collected in the water supply tank 7. Further, since the water supply tank is sealed except for the air vent pipe portion 37, there is no concern that dust or the like will enter inside.

In this embodiment, a gear pump is used as the type of pump 6. The gear pump is the most preferable as the pump adopted in the present invention because it has a simple structure and few failures. However, the present invention is not limited to the gear pump as the type of pump, and any other pump having self-priming property can be adopted. As a concrete example, it is possible to adopt a vane pump, an axial piston pump, a diaphragm pump, or the like.

[0093]

The ice making device of the present invention employs a pump having a self-priming property, and water is sucked out directly from the water supply tank by the rotation of the pump and is supplied to the ice tray through the pipe. Therefore, in the ice making device of the present invention, there is little opportunity for water to come into contact with air between the water supply tank and the ice tray.
Therefore, in the ice-making device of the present invention, dust or the like is dropped into the water, or the odorous gas component is not mixed to contaminate the water,
This has the effect of keeping the water clean at all times. As a result, the ice made by the ice making device of the present invention has a very delicious effect.

Further, in the configuration in which the pump is rotated in the reverse direction for a certain period of time after the water is supplied to the ice tray, the water remaining in the pipe is collected in the water supply tank through the pump, so that a more complete cleaning of water is possible. There is an effect that the sex is secured.

The funnel-shaped member of the filter case has a sharp throttling shape, can block the sound of pumping water out of the filter case, and can keep the internal pressure of the filter case constant by the air vent groove. The amount of water supplied to the dish is effective.

In addition, by providing the notch groove and the projection on the bottom surface and the projection on the bottom of the filter case at the tip of the suction pipe portion of the discharge pipe, it is possible to reduce the sound emitted from the air, and further, at the tip of the suction pipe portion, By ensuring a proper gap with the bottom of the filter case, it is effective in preventing foreign matter from entering.

Further, when the water supply tank is attached, the engaging claw engages with the engaging portion of the discharge pipe, so that there is an effect that it can be confirmed with a sense of moderation.

Since the lid and the discharge pipe are integrated, the pipe joint portion (A) and the pipe joint portion (B) can be joined more accurately. In addition, the filter case can be installed stably.

Further, by providing the lid with the air vent pipe diameter, the internal pressure of the water supply tank can be made constant, and the amount of water supplied to the ice tray can be made more accurate. Further, by keeping the internal pressure constant, the load applied to the pump becomes constant, and there is an effect that there is little failure and high safety. In addition, changing the pipe diameter has the effect of reducing air escape noise.

Further, since the long side of the water supply tank is reliably sealed, water will not be scattered around and polluted when being carried. Further, since the long side is locked, the locking work is stable and easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an ice making device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an ice making device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a water supply tank used in the ice making device of FIG.

4 is an exploded perspective view of the water supply tank lid portion of FIG.

5 is an exploded perspective view showing an internal configuration of the water supply tank of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified embodiment of the suction pipe portion.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the suction pipe portion.

8 is a perspective view of a main part of the ice making device of FIG.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing the behavior when the water tank and the frame are coupled in the ice making device of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a fitting state of a pipe joint portion (A) of a discharge pipe and a pipe joint portion (B) provided on a suction side of a pump.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the air vent pipe portion of the water supply tank.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ice making device according to the specific embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional ice making device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ice Maker 2 Ice Tray 3 Inverter 6 Pump 7 Water Tank 8 Frame 9 Piping 10 Freezer 11 Refrigerator 15 Tank Main Body 16 Lid 30 Discharge Pipe 32 Engagement 35 Pipe Joint (A) 36 Suction Pipe 37 Air Vent Pipe 38 Filter case 40 Filter 41 Funnel-shaped member 43 Storage member 45 Locking part 46 Notch groove part 48 Bottom part 49,54 Protrusion 52 Relevant part 57 Air vent groove 60 Water supply tank mounting part 61 Pump placement part 71 Pipe joint part (B) 72 Engaging claw 74 Hitting part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Aoki 3-22, Takaidahondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Refrigerating Machinery Co., Ltd.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A water supply tank installed in a refrigerator, an ice tray installed in a freezer compartment, and water in the water supply tank guided to the ice tray via piping to the ice tray and operated after water supply. A self-priming pump, a discharge pipe that communicates with the inside of the water supply tank, a funnel-shaped member that is located inside the water supply tank and that extends around the bottom surface and covers the periphery of the discharge pipe, and a filter that is on the bottom surface of the discharge pipe. An ice making device including a storage member having the same. 2. A water supply tank comprising a tank main body and a lid, and a funnel-shaped member projecting into the tank main body and having a discharge pipe extending to the bottom of the tank attached to the lid and covering the periphery of the discharge pipe. The ice-making device according to claim 1, wherein the ice-making device is engaged with the lid, and the funnel-shaped member and the storage member are engaged with each other. 3. The suction pipe part of the discharge pipe communicating with the inside of the water supply tank is tubular and has a notch groove part at its tip.
Or the ice making device according to 2. 4. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein the filter case has a protrusion on the bottom, and the suction pipe portion is located so as to surround the protrusion. 5. The ice making device according to claim 3, wherein the suction pipe portion of the discharge pipe communicating with the inside of the water supply tank has a projection on the bottom surface, and a gap is provided between the suction pipe portion and the bottom portion of the filter case. 6. A water supply tank, a pump, a frame having a water supply tank mounting portion and a pump arrangement portion, a discharge pipe provided in the water supply tank, and a nozzle-like member formed at the tip of the discharge pipe. Pipe joint part (A) and this pipe joint part (A)
A tubular pipe joint portion (B) connected to the pump, engaging portion formed on the discharge pipe, a hitting portion formed together with the engaging portion, and the engaging portion. An ice making device provided with a locking claw which is engaged to maintain the coupled state of the two pipe joint portions (A) and (B). 7. The water supply tank comprises a tank body having an upper surface opened, a lid for hermetically closing the opening, and a discharge pipe connected to the pump suction side, and the lid member and the discharge pipe are integrally formed. The ice making device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The ice making device according to claim 1, wherein the water supply tank has an air vent pipe portion in the lid body, and the diameter of the air vent pipe portion is changed toward the upper surface of the lid body. 9. A container, which is arranged in a refrigerator and supplied with water by a self-priming pump, has a container having an open upper surface, a lid for closing the upper opening of the container, and a lid formed on the lid. The container is composed of a suction pipe connected to the self-priming pump, the container is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped having long sides and short sides, and the lid is formed of long sides and short sides. A water storage tank for an ice making device, comprising a lock member that is movably supported by a side and is engaged with a flange formed on a long side of the container. 10. A lid is provided with a flange extending to the inner surface of the container, and a gasket is provided on the outside of the flange so as to come into contact with the opening end of the container to form a watertight state when the lid is attached to the upper opening of the container. The water storage tank for an ice making device according to claim 9.