JPH11257818A - Refrigerator having water supplying and distributing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having such a water supplying and distributing device that can supply high-quality water by eliminating such a defect that deteriorated-quality water is supplied due to lukewarm water left in its water supply piping after water supplying operations and can be reduced in cost by simplifying the structure of the piping by suppressing water pressure rises in the piping. SOLUTION: A reversible water supply pump 20 is provided in the middle of water supply piping and rotated in the opposite direction so as to return the cold water left in the piping to a cold water tank 35 after water supplying operations. Therefore, high-quality water can be supplied always. In addition, the cost of the water supply piping can be reduced by simplifying the structure of the piping by suppressing water pressure rises in the piping by providing a potable water valve 33 to the middle of a potable water pipe and an interconnecting pipe communicated with the inside of a refrigerator to the cold water tank 35.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a home refrigerator having a function of supplying cold water by direct connection to a water supply.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, tap water has a problem of unpleasant taste and odor due to deterioration of quality of water serving as a water source of tap water due to environmental pollution or the like. Therefore, in order to obtain “delicious water”, it is common to connect a water purification device to a water tap or to purchase and use commercially available mineral water or the like. Recently, a refrigerator capable of supplying purified cold water by adding a water purification treatment function has been released.

A conventional refrigerator having a water supply function is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 64-22980.

Hereinafter, the conventional refrigerator will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional refrigerator.
In FIG. 10, 1 is a refrigerator main body, 2 is a freezing room, 3 is a refrigerator room, and a cold water tank 4 is disposed inside. A tap water pipe 5 connects the tap faucet 6 to the cold water tank 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a water supply / distribution device, which includes a water supply valve 8, a water supply lever 9, and a water supply port 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a water supply pipe, which connects the cold water tank 4 and the water supply / distribution device 7 via the outside of the refrigerator body 1.

[0005] Regarding the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. First, the water supplied from the tap faucet 6 is stored in the cold water tank 4 via the tap water pipe 5. The water stored in the cold water tank 4 is cooled to a predetermined temperature because it is inside the refrigerator compartment 3. Next, when the water supply lever 9 is pressed, the water supply valve 8 is opened to perform a water supply operation, and the cooled water in the cold water tank 4 is supplied from the water supply port 10 through the water supply pipe 11 to obtain cold water at the time of drinking. be able to. At this time, water in the cold water tank 4 decreases, but water is supplied to the cold water tank 4 from the tap faucet 6 by tap water pressure. When the water supply lever 9 is returned, the water supply valve 8 is closed and the cold water from the water supply port 10 stops, and the water supply operation ends.

[0006]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, water remains in the water supply pipe 11 and the water supply port 10 even after the water supply operation is completed, and a part of the water supply pipe 11 and the water supply port 10 are not removed. Since it is in the outside air at a temperature higher than the temperature of the cooled water, if the water supply operation is not performed for a long time, the temperature of the remaining water increases and the water quality decreases. Therefore, when the water supply operation is performed next time, there is a drawback that the water supply port 10 first supplies the water that is fresh and has low water quality.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function capable of supplying cold water at a high quality of drinking.

In addition, in the above-described conventional configuration, when the water supplied from the tap faucet 6 has an unpleasant odor or a bad odor (for example, a strong smell of malt etc.) due to the deterioration of the quality of the water serving as the water source of the tap water, There is a drawback that the cold water supplied from the water supply port 10 also contains an off-flavor and an off-flavor.

Another object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function capable of always supplying delicious cold water with a high quality of drinking.

Further, in the above-described conventional configuration, water remains in the water supply pipe 11 and the water supply port 10 even after the water supply operation is completed, and a part of the water supply pipe 11 and the water supply port 10 maintain the temperature of the cooled water. If the water supply operation is not performed for a long time, the temperature of the remaining water increases and the quality of the water decreases because the air is in the outside air at a higher temperature. Therefore, the next time the water supply operation is performed, it is not until after the high-temperature and low-quality water has been completely drained from a part of the water supply pipe 11 and the water supply port 10, the drinking water of the originally desired high water quality is required. Did not get the delicious cold water. That is, there is a disadvantage that it takes a long time to obtain delicious cold water with a high quality of water that is originally desired after the water supply operation is started.

Another object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function capable of supplying delicious cold water with a high quality of drinking immediately after the water supply operation is started. With the goal.

Further, in the above-described conventional configuration, the inside of the pipe from the water tap 6 to the water supply valve 8 is always directly connected to the tap water, and the same water pressure as that of general tap water is applied to the pipe except during the water supply operation. ing. For this reason, the cold water tank 4 and the water supply pipe 11 need to have the same level of pressure resistance as ordinary water supply pipes, and have a disadvantage that the mechanism is complicated and the manufacturing cost is increased.

Another object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems, and to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function with a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a low manufacturing cost by suppressing a rise in water pressure in piping. The purpose is to:

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a water supply pump which can be reversed in the middle of a water supply pipe, and the water supply pump rotates forward to supply the cold water in the cold water tank with the water. After the operation of feeding water to the device is completed, the water supply pump reverses, and the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe and the water supply / distribution device is fed back to the cold water tank.

Further, a water purification apparatus is disposed in the middle of a water supply pipe connecting the water supply pump and the water supply / distribution device, and the water supply pump rotates forward to complete the operation of supplying the cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply / distribution device. Later, the water supply pump reverses,
The cold water remaining in the water supply and distribution device and the water purification treatment device is sent back to the cold water tank.

[0016] Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function capable of always supplying delicious cold water with a high quality of drinking.

In the operation of the water supply pump in which the water supply pump is reversible and the water supply flow rate is variable, and the water supply pump supplies the chilled water in the chilled water tank to the water supply / distribution device, the normal amount of water supplied for a certain period of time from the start of the water supply operation. This is to send more water than before, and then return to normal water supply.

Further, after a predetermined time (for example, 3 minutes) has passed after the water supply pump has rotated forward and the operation of sending the cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply / distribution device has been completed (for example, three minutes later), the water supply pump is rotated in reverse and the water supply pipe is stopped. The cold water remaining in the inside and the water supply / distribution device is sent back to the cold water tank.

[0019] Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a water supply function capable of supplying delicious cold water of good quality at a time of drinking.

Further, a tap water valve provided in the middle of the tap water pipe and a communication pipe communicating with the inside of the refrigerator main body are provided in the cold water tank.

Further, when the accumulated operation time of the water supply pump exceeds a predetermined time, the tap water valve is opened to refill the cold water tank with tap water.

Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost by suppressing a rise in water pressure in the piping inside the refrigerator.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention can be realized by the embodiments described in the claims. That is, claim 1
The described invention provides a refrigerator main body, a cold water tank disposed in the refrigerator main body, a tap water pipe connected to the cold water tank for guiding tap water into the refrigerator main body, and the refrigerator. A water supply / distribution device provided in a part of the main body to supply cold water in the cold water tank; a water supply pipe connecting the cold water tank and the water supply / distribution device; and a reversible water supply pump provided in the middle of the water supply pipe. After the water supply pump is rotated forward and the operation of sending the chilled water in the chilled water tank to the water supply and distribution device is completed, the water supply pump is reversed and the water supply pipe and the water supply and distribution device are provided. The remaining cold water is sent back to the cold water tank.

After the water supply operation is completed, no water remains in the water supply pipe and the water supply port, and when the water supply operation is performed again after the water supply operation has not been performed for a long time, the water is always high from the water supply port. We can supply delicious cold water at the time of drinking.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a water purification treatment device is provided in the middle of a water supply pipe connecting a water supply pump and a water supply and distribution device, and the water supply pump rotates forward to supply and distribute chilled water in a chilled water tank. After the operation of feeding the water to the device is completed, the water supply pump is reversed and the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe, the water supply and distribution device, and the water purification treatment device is reversely fed to the cold water tank.

When the water supplied from the water tap contains an unpleasant odor or a bad odor (for example, a strong smell of lime, etc.) due to the deterioration of the quality of the water serving as the water source of the tap water, the water purification device treats the odor and the unpleasant odor. Water can be removed from the water supply port to supply delicious, cool water that is always clean and drinkable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a water supply pump in which the water supply pump is reversible and the water supply flow rate is variable, and the water supply pump supplies cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply / distribution device. For a certain period of time from the start, water is supplied more than the normal water supply amount, and thereafter, it returns to the normal water supply amount.

Then, when the water supply operation is started, the water supply pump supplies a large amount of water at the same time, and as a result, the cold water quickly reaches the water supply port from the water supply pump. .

Further, the invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that after a predetermined time has passed (for example, after 3 minutes) after the water supply pump has rotated forward and completed the operation of sending the cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply and distribution device. The water supply pump is configured to reversely feed the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe and the water supply / distribution device to the cold water tank.

Even when the water supply operation is repeatedly performed within a short period of time, the water supply pump reverses each time, and the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe and the water supply / distribution device is not returned to the cold water tank. There is no operation time to perform, and it is possible to supply delicious cold water of good drinking quality instantly from the water supply port repeatedly.

The invention according to claim 5 is configured such that a tap water valve provided in the middle of the tap water pipe and a communication pipe communicating with the inside of the refrigerator main body are provided in the cold water tank. .

By suppressing the rise in water pressure in the piping inside the refrigerator, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 is configured such that the tap water valve is opened and tap water is replenished to the cold water tank when the accumulated operation time of the feed water pump exceeds a predetermined time.

Thus, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost.

[0035]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a refrigerator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are given to portions having the same configuration and the same operation as in the related art, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a refrigerator in Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator in the embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 denotes a reversible water supply pump such as a gear pump, which is connected to the water supply tank 4 by a connection pipe 21. 22 is a water supply pump 20
And a water supply pipe connecting the water supply port 10 with the water supply pipe 10. Reference numeral 23 denotes a pump drive circuit of the water supply pump 20, and the water supply pump 20, the reverse rotation timer circuit 24, and the water supply switch 25 are electrically connected. Reference numeral 26 denotes a water supply / distribution device including the water supply port 10 and the water supply switch 25.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The tap faucet 6 is in an open state in advance, the inside of the cold water tank 4 is filled with water, and is cooled to cool water. First, in step 1, the on state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, and the processing is repeated until the water supply switch 25 is turned on. When the water supply switch 25 is turned on, the process proceeds to step 2. Step 2 is a water supply operation, in which the pump drive circuit 23 rotates the water supply pump 20 forward to supply the cold water in the cold water tank 4 to the water supply port 10.
Then, the cold water in the cold water tank 4 is supplied from the water supply port 10 to the outside of the refrigerator main body 1, so that cold water that is easy to drink can be obtained. In step 3, the off state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, and the processing in step 2 is repeated until the water supply switch 25 is turned off, and the water supply operation is continuously performed. When the off state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, the process proceeds to step 4. In step 4, the water supply operation ends, and the pump drive circuit 23 stops the water supply pump 20. Therefore, the water supply to the water supply port 10 is stopped, and the cold water from the water supply port 10 is also stopped. In step 5, the reverse rotation timer circuit 2
The count value of 4 is reset to 0. In step 6, the pump driving circuit 23 reversely rotates the water supply pump 20 and reversely supplies the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe 22 and the water supply port 10 to the cold water tank 4 in the reverse water supply operation. In step 7, the count value of the reverse rotation timer circuit 24 is counted up. In step 8, it is determined whether the count value of the reverse rotation timer circuit 24 has reached a set value (for example, 30 seconds). Here, if the count value of the reverse rotation timer circuit 24 is smaller than the set value, the process returns to step 6 and the reverse water supply operation is continued. When the count value of the reverse rotation timer circuit 24 exceeds the set value, the water supply pipe 22 and the water supply port 1
It is determined that the cold water remaining at 0 has run out and step 9
Proceed to. In step 9, the reverse water supply operation ends, the pump drive circuit 23 stops the water supply pump 20, and waits for the next water supply operation.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment has a reversible water supply pump 20, a connection pipe 21, a cold water tank 4, a water supply pipe 22, a pump drive circuit 23, a reverse rotation timer circuit 24, With a water supply switch 25,
After the water supply operation is completed, the water supply pipe 22 and the water supply port 10
There is no water remaining inside, and the temperature of the water remaining in the water supply pipe 22 and the water supply port 10 increases, and the water quality does not decrease. Therefore, when the water supply operation is performed again after the water supply operation has not been performed for a long time, the cold water of high drinking quality can always be supplied from the water supply port 10. Further, since the water supply pump 20 is stopped at the same time when the water supply switch 25 is turned off, the supply of the cold water from the water supply port 10 can be instantaneously stopped when the water supply switch 25 is turned off. Furthermore, since the water pressure applied to the water supply pipe 22 is much lower than that of general water supply, the pressure resistance performance of the water supply pipe 22 may be low, the structure can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the water supply pump 20 and the cold water tank 4 are connected by the connection pipe 21. However, the water supply pump 20 and the cold water tank 4 are directly connected to each other to be integrated, and the connection pipe 21 is omitted. Manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 27 denotes a water purification apparatus which has a built-in adsorbent for purification or a hollow fiber filter, is connected from a water supply pump 20 by a water purifier pipe 28, and is supplied with water by a water supply pipe 29. It is connected to the mouth 10. In the present embodiment, the refrigerator of the first embodiment is further provided with a water purification device 27 and a water purifier pipe 28.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. When the water supply switch 25 is turned on, a water supply operation is performed, the water supply pump 20 rotates forward, and the cold water in the cold water tank 4 is sent to the water purification treatment device 27. In the water purification treatment device 27, when the water supplied from the tap faucet 6 contains an unpleasant odor or a bad odor (for example, a strong smell of odor, etc.) due to the deterioration of the quality of the water serving as the water source of the tap water, the unpleasant odor is removed. Purify. Then, the purified cold water is further sent to the water supply port 10 to obtain cold and delicious water that is easy to drink.

When the water supply switch 25 is turned off, the water supply operation ends and the water supply operation starts.
Then, the cold water remaining in the water supply port 10, the water purification device 27, the water purifier pipe 28 and the water supply pipe 29 is sent back to the cold water tank 4. After a certain period of time, feed water pump 20
Stops and waits for the next water supply operation.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is provided with the water purification device 27 and the water purifier piping 28, and the water supplied from the water tap 6 has an unpleasant odor (for example, a strong smell of chlorine, etc.). ), The water purification device 27 has an unpleasant taste.
Since the unpleasant odor is removed and purified, it is possible to obtain, from the water supply port 10, cool and delicious water that is easy to drink. Furthermore, after the water supply operation is completed, the inside of the water supply port 10 and the water purification device 27
The water from which the calcium component has been removed does not remain inside the water purifier pipe 28 and the water supply pipe 29, thereby preventing the water quality from lowering. Therefore, even if the water supply operation is performed again after the water supply operation is not performed for a long time, the water supply port 10 can always supply delicious cold water with a high quality of drinking.
Further, since the water pressure applied to the inside of the water treatment apparatus 27, the water purifier pipe 28 and the water supply pipe 29 is much lower than that of general tap water, even if the pressure resistance performance of the water purification apparatus 27, the water purifier pipe 28 and the water supply pipe 29 is low. Good, easy to structure,
The effect that the manufacturing cost can be reduced is obtained.

In this embodiment, the water supply pump 20 and the water treatment device 27 are connected by the water purifier pipe 28.
The production cost can be reduced by directly connecting the water supply pump 20 and the water purification treatment device 27 to form an integral type and omitting the water purifier piping 28.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator of the embodiment.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 30 denotes a pump driving circuit 23.
Is a quick timer circuit electrically connected to the circuit. Reference numeral 31 denotes a water supply pump, such as a gear pump, which is reversible and has a variable water supply flow rate. The water supply pump 31 is connected to the cold water tank 4 by a connection pipe 21 and is connected to the water purification device 27 by a water purifier pipe 28. This embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that the water supply pump 20 of the refrigerator in the second embodiment can be reversed and a water supply pump 31 having a variable water supply flow rate is provided, and a quick timer circuit 30 is further provided.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step 1, the on state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, and the processing is repeated until the water supply switch 25 is turned on. When the water supply switch 25 is turned on, the process proceeds to step 2. In step 2, the count value of the quick timer circuit 30 is reset to zero. In step 3, the pump drive circuit 23 causes the water supply pump 20 to rapidly rotate forward in a rapid water supply operation. Then, the cold water in the cold water tank 4 is rapidly sent to the water supply port 10. In step 4, the count value of the rapid timer circuit 30 is counted up. In step 5, the count value of the rapid timer circuit 30 is compared with a preset rapid timer set value (for example, one second). Here, if the count value of the quick timer circuit 30 is smaller than the set value of the quick timer, the process returns to step 3 and the quick water supply operation is continued. Also,
When the count value of the quick timer circuit 30 becomes equal to or greater than the set value of the quick timer, it is determined that the cold water in the cold water tank 4 has reached the water supply port 10, and the process proceeds to step 6. In step 6, in a normal water supply operation, the pump drive circuit 23
Is returned from rapid forward rotation to normal forward rotation. Then, the cold water tank 4
The cold water inside is supplied from the water supply port 10 to the outside of the refrigerator main body 1, so that cold water that is easy to drink can be obtained. Step 7
Then, the off state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, and the process of step 6 is repeated until the water supply switch 25 is turned off, and the water supply operation is continuously performed. When the off state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, the process proceeds to step S8. The operation after step 8 is the same as the operation of the refrigerator according to the first and second embodiments, and the operation is the same as that after step 4 in the flowchart of FIG.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is provided with the quick timer circuit 30 and the feed pump 31 which is reversible and has a variable water supply flow rate, so that the cold water in the cold water tank 4 is quickly supplied. Since the water is rapidly supplied to the mouth 10, it is possible to instantly obtain delicious cold water of high quality for drinking. Further, since the cold water in the cold water tank 4 reaches the water supply port 10 and the normal water supply operation is performed and the momentum of the cold water decreases, the cold water does not accidentally scatter from the water supply port 10,
No spillage of cold water.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a refrigerator in Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator of the embodiment.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 32 denotes a delay timer circuit, which is electrically connected to the pump drive circuit 23 and the reverse rotation timer circuit 24. In the present embodiment, the delay timer circuit 32 is further provided in the refrigerator of the third embodiment.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Steps 1 to 8 are the same as the operation of the refrigerator according to the third embodiment, and are the same as the operations from step 1 to step 8 in FIG. In step 9,
The count value of the delay timer circuit 32 is reset to zero. In step 10, the count value of the delay timer circuit 32 is counted up. In step 11-1, the count value of the delay timer circuit 32 is compared with a preset delay timer set value (for example, 3 minutes) and determined. Here, if the count value of the delay timer circuit 32 is smaller than the delay timer set value, the process proceeds to step 11-2. In step 11-2, the on state of the water supply switch 25 is detected, and when the water supply switch 25 is on,
And the normal water supply operation is performed again. When the water supply switch 25 is in the off state, the process returns to step 10 and the process is repeated. In step 11-1, when the count value of the delay timer circuit 32 becomes equal to or larger than the delay timer set value, it is determined that the water supply operation will not be performed again for a while, and the process proceeds to step 12. Step 3 is the third embodiment.
The operation is the same as the operation of the refrigerator in FIG.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is provided with the delay timer circuit 32, and after the water supply operation is completed, after a certain period of time (for example, three minutes), the water supply pump 31 is reversed. Inside the water inlet 10, inside the water purification device 27,
Since the cold water remaining in the water purifier pipe 28 and the water supply pipe 29 is fed back to the cold water tank 4, even when the water supply operation is repeatedly performed within a short time, there is no time for the reverse water feed operation every time, and instantaneous You can get delicious cold water with good water quality.

(Embodiment 5) FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

In FIG. 8, reference numeral 33 denotes a tap water valve having a valve mechanism, which is connected to the tap faucet 6 by a tap water pipe. Reference numeral 35 denotes a cold water tank provided in the refrigerator compartment 3, and a communication pipe 36 communicating with the refrigerator compartment 3 is provided at an upper portion. Reference numeral 37 denotes a liquid level sensor for sensing the liquid level of the cold water in the cold water tank 35 (for example, using hydrostatic pressure), and is disposed in the cold water tank 35. Reference numeral 38 denotes a cold water tank pipe connecting the tap water valve 33 and the cold water tank 35. A tap water valve driving circuit 39 controls opening and closing of the tap water valve 33, and is electrically connected to the liquid level sensor 37 and the tap water valve 33. In the present embodiment, the cold water tank 4 of the refrigerator in the second embodiment is connected to the communication pipe 3 communicating with the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3.
6, a cold water tank 35 in which a liquid level sensor 37 is disposed, and a tap water valve 33, a tap water pipe 34, a cold water tank pipe 38, and a tap water valve drive circuit 39 are provided.

Regarding the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The inside of the cold water tank 35 is previously filled with cold water, the tap faucet 6 is open, and the tap water valve 33 is closed. The inside of the cold water tank 35 communicates with the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 by a communication pipe 36, and the pressure in the cold water tank 35 is equal to the atmospheric pressure. Also,
Cold water tank piping 38 connected to cold water tank 35
Inside, inside the connection pipe 21, inside the water supply pump 20, inside the water purifier pipe 2
8, the water purification device 27 and the water supply pipe 29 also have the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure.

Next, when the water supply switch 25 is turned on, a water supply operation is performed, and the cold water in the cold water tank 35 is purified by the water purification device 27 and is supplied from the water supply port 10 to the outside of the refrigerator body 1 so that the cold water at the time of drinking can be obtained. Can be obtained. Next, the chilled water in the chilled water tank 35 is reduced by the amount supplied from the water supply port 10 to the outside of the refrigerator main body 1, and the air having the same pressure as the atmospheric pressure in the refrigeration room 3 enters the chilled water tank 35 from the communication pipe 36. , The liquid level decreases and the liquid level sensor 3
7 detects a drop in the liquid level. At this time, when the liquid level sensor 37 detects that the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 is lower than a preset low level (for example, one fifth from the bottom of the cold water tank 35), the tap water In the replenishment operation, the tap water valve driving circuit 39 opens the tap water valve 33, and refills the tap water from the tap faucet 6 into the cold water tank 35. Then, the chilled water in the chilled water tank 35 increases by the amount of the tap water replenishment, and the air in the chilled water tank 35 is discharged from the communication pipe 36 into the refrigeration room 3, so that the liquid level rises. The liquid level sensor 37 detects a rise in the liquid level. At this time, the liquid level sensor 37 detects that the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 is a predetermined high level (for example, the liquid level is always lower than the liquid level when the cold water tank is full, and 5 minutes from the bottom of the cold water tank 35). When it is detected that the condition (4) has been reached, the tap water valve drive circuit 39 closes the tap water valve 33 to end the tap water replenishment operation, and the cold water tank 3
The liquid level in 5 is kept between low and high levels. Further, when the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 becomes high, the tap water replenishing operation is completed, so that the replenished tap water does not overflow from the communication pipe 36 into the refrigerator compartment 3.

When the water supply switch 25 is turned off and the water supply operation is reversed, the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 rises as in the case of the tap water replenishment operation. Since the tank 35 is not full, there is still room for cold water in the cold water tank 35,
The reversely fed cold water does not overflow from the communication pipe 36 into the refrigerator compartment 3.

As described above, the refrigerator of the present embodiment is provided with the communication pipe 36 communicating with the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the cold water tank 35 in which the liquid level sensor 37 is disposed.
A tap water valve 33, a tap water pipe 34, a cold water tank pipe 38, and a tap water valve driving circuit 39 are provided.
Since the pressure in the cold water tank pipe 38, the connection pipe 21, the water supply pump 20, the water purifier pipe 28, the water purification apparatus 27 and the water supply pipe 29 is always equal to the atmospheric pressure, the pressure inside the refrigerator By suppressing the rise in water pressure in the piping, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure and a water supply function with low manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the cold water tank 35
To keep the liquid level between low and high levels,
A constant amount of cold water can always be stored in the cold water tank 35, and cold water of high quality can be supplied at all times.

In this embodiment, the communication pipe 36 is used to communicate the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 with the inside of the cold water tank 35. However, the communication pipe 36 is not used and the inside of the refrigerator compartment 3 and the cold water A communication hole communicating with the inside of the tank 35 may be provided, so that the structure is simple, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

(Embodiment 6) FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a refrigerator according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention.

In FIG. 9, reference numeral 40 denotes a time integrating circuit for integrating the operation time of the feed water pump 20, and a tap water valve driving circuit 3
9 and the feedwater pump drive circuit 23. A tap water valve timer circuit 41 accumulates an open time of the tap water valve drive circuit 39.
9 is electrically connected. In the present embodiment, the liquid level sensor 37 disposed in the cold water tank 35 of the refrigerator according to the fifth embodiment is eliminated, and a time integrating circuit 40 and a tap water valve timer circuit 41 are provided.

With respect to the refrigerator configured as described above,
The operation will be described below. The inside of the cold water tank 35 is previously filled with cold water, the tap faucet 6 is open, and the tap water valve 33 is closed. Further, the time integration circuit 40
Is 0 hours, and the integrated count value of the tap water valve timer circuit 41 is 0.

Next, when the water supply switch 25 is turned on, the pump drive circuit 23 rotates the water supply pump 20 forward to perform a water supply operation, and the time integration circuit 40 integrates the operation time of the water supply pump 20. Further, the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 decreases in proportion to the operation time of the water supply pump 20. At this time, when the time integration value of the time integration circuit 40 reaches a preset integration value (for example, 5 minutes), the liquid level in the chilled water tank 35 is set to a predetermined low level (for example, a chilled water tank). Judging that it was less than 1/5) from the bottom of 35,
Tap water replenishment operation is performed. The tap water replenishment operation is performed by the tap water valve drive circuit 39 opening the tap water valve 33 and the tap faucet 6.
Is supplied to the cold water tank 35, and the tap water valve timer circuit 41 starts to count the time, and the count value increases. At this time, when the integrated count value of the tap water valve timer circuit 41 reaches a preset tap water replenishment time (for example, 10 seconds or the like), the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 becomes a preset high level (for example, The tap water valve drive circuit 39 closes the tap water valve 33 and determines that the tap water valve 33 is closed. The water replenishment operation is completed, and the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 is maintained between the low level and the high level. Further, the time integration circuit 4
The time integrated value of 0 is reset to 0 hours, and the integrated count value of the tap water valve timer circuit 41 is reset to 0.

When the water supply switch 25 is turned off and the water supply operation is reversed, the liquid level in the cold water tank 35 rises in the same manner as in the tap water replenishment operation. Since the tank 35 is not full, there is still room for cold water in the cold water tank 35,
The reversely fed cold water does not overflow from the communication pipe 36 into the refrigerator compartment 3.

As described above, the refrigerator of this embodiment is provided with the time integrating circuit 40 and the tap water valve timer circuit 41, and the auxiliary devices (for example, the liquid level sensor) for detecting the liquid level in the water tank 35. Since the sensor can be omitted, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost.

[0071]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a reversible water supply pump, a connection pipe, a cold water tank, a water supply pipe, a pump drive circuit, a reverse rotation timer circuit, After the water supply operation is completed, water does not remain in the water supply pipe and water supply port,
The temperature of the water remaining in the water supply pipe and the water supply port rises and the water quality does not decrease. Therefore, when the water supply operation is performed again after the water supply operation has not been performed for a long time, it is possible to always supply the high quality drinking cold water from the water supply port. In addition, since the water supply pump is stopped at the same time as the water supply switch is turned off, the supply of cold water from the water supply port can be stopped at the same time as the water supply switch is turned off. Furthermore, since the water pressure applied to the water supply pipe is much lower than that of general water supply, the pressure resistance of the water supply pipe may be low, the structure can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the water supply pump and the cold water tank are directly connected to each other to form an integrated type, and the production cost can be reduced by omitting the connection piping.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the water supplied from the water tap is provided with an unpleasant odor (for example, Even if it contains a strong smell of chlorine, the water purification device removes and purifies the off-flavors and off-flavors, so that cold and delicious water can be obtained from the water inlet. Further, after the water supply operation is completed, the water from which the calcium component has been removed does not remain in the water supply port, the water purification treatment device, the water purifier pipe, and the water supply pipe, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in water quality.
Therefore, even if the water supply operation is performed again after the water supply operation has not been performed for a long time, it is possible to always supply delicious cold water of good quality for drinking from the water supply port. In addition, since the water pressure applied to the water treatment device, the water purifier pipe and the water supply pipe is much lower than that of general water supply, the pressure resistance performance of the water treatment apparatus, the water purifier pipe and the water supply pipe may be low, and the structure is simple. And the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the water supply pump and the water purification treatment device are directly connected to form an integral type, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced by omitting the water purifier piping.

Further, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the quick timer circuit and the feed pump which is reversible and has a variable water flow rate are provided. Since the water is rapidly supplied, it is possible to instantly obtain delicious cold water of high quality. Further, since the cold water in the cold water tank reaches the water supply port and the normal water supply operation is performed and the momentum of the cold water is reduced, the cold water does not accidentally scatter from the water supply port and does not spill.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the water supply pump is constituted by a delay timer circuit, and after a predetermined time (for example, three minutes) after the water supply operation is completed, the water supply pump is rotated in reverse to supply water. The cold water remaining in the water purification system, water purifier piping and water supply piping is fed back to the cold water tank, so there is no time for the water feeding operation every time, even when the water supply operation is repeated within a short time. You can instantly get good quality cold water with good water quality.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a chilled water tank provided with a communication pipe communicating with the refrigerator compartment and having a liquid level sensor disposed therein, a tap water valve, a tap water pipe, and a chilled water tank are provided. With a pipe and a tap water valve drive circuit, the pressure in the cold water tank, inside the cold water tank pipe, inside the connection pipe, inside the water supply pump, inside the water purifier pipe, inside the water purification system, and inside the water supply pipe is always equal to the atmospheric pressure. Since it becomes pressure, it is possible to provide a refrigerator having a simple structure and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost by suppressing a rise in water pressure in piping inside the refrigerator. Further, since the liquid level in the cold water tank is maintained between the low level and the high level, a fixed amount of cold water can always be stored in the cold water tank, and cold water of high quality can be supplied at all times. Further, a communication hole may be provided at the upper part of the cold water tank without using a communication pipe to communicate between the refrigerator compartment and the inside of the cold water tank, so that the structure is simple, the number of parts can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

According to the invention, an auxiliary device (for example, a liquid level sensor or the like) for detecting the liquid level in the water tank by adding a time integrating circuit and a tap water valve timer circuit. Can be omitted,
A refrigerator having a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a water supply function with a low manufacturing cost can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator having the water supply and distribution device of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator having the water supply and distribution device in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the refrigerator having the water supply and distribution device in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a refrigerator having a conventional water supply and distribution device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerator main body 4,35 Cold water tank 5,34 Tap water pipe 11,22,29 Water supply pipe 20,31 Water supply pump 23 Pump drive circuit 24 Reverse rotation timer circuit 26 Water supply and distribution device 27 Water purification treatment device 32 Delay timer circuit 33 Tap water valve 36 Communication pipe 37 Liquid level sensor 39 Tap water valve drive circuit 40 Time integration circuit 41 Tap water valve timer circuit

Claims (6)

[Claims] A refrigerator main body; a cold water tank disposed in the refrigerator main body; a tap water pipe connected to the cold water tank for guiding tap water into the refrigerator main body; A water supply / distribution device provided in a part of the main body for drawing and supplying cold water in the cold water tank, a water supply pipe connecting the cold water tank and the water supply / distribution device, and a reverse provided in the middle of the water supply pipe A water supply pump capable of supplying the cold water in the chilled water tank to the water supply / distribution device after the water supply pump rotates forward and the water supply pump rotates in the reverse direction to feed the water in the water supply pipe and the water supply pump. A refrigerator having a water supply / distribution device, wherein cold water remaining in the water distribution device is sent back to the cold water tank. 2. A water purification treatment device is provided in the middle of a water supply pipe connecting the water supply pump and the water supply and distribution device, and the water supply pump rotates forward to complete the operation of supplying cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply and distribution device. 2. The refrigerator having a water supply and distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the water supply pump reverses and the cold water remaining in the water supply pipe, the water supply and distribution device, and the water purification treatment device is reversely supplied to the cold water tank. 3. The water supply pump is a water supply pump that is reversible and has a variable water supply flow rate. In the operation of the water supply pump for supplying the cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply / distribution device, the water supply pump is normally supplied for a certain period of time from the start of the water supply operation. The refrigerator having a water supply / distribution device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein water is supplied more than the amount of water, and thereafter returns to a normal amount of water. 4. After a predetermined time has elapsed after the water supply pump has rotated forward and completed the operation of supplying the cold water in the cold water tank to the water supply / distribution device, the water supply pump reversely rotates into the water supply pipe and the water supply / distribution device. The refrigerator having the water supply and distribution device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the remaining cold water is sent back to the cold water tank. 5. A refrigerator having a water supply / distribution device according to claim 1, wherein a tap water valve provided in the middle of the tap water pipe and a vent hole communicating with the inside of the refrigerator main body are provided in the cold water tank. . 6. The refrigerator having a water supply / distribution device according to claim 5, wherein the tap water valve is opened and the cold water tank is refilled with tap water when the cumulative operation time of the feed water pump exceeds a predetermined time.